Big and Small Cave Heaven

Big and Small Cave Heaven

Big and Small Cave Heaven is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Sanya’s Big and Small Cave Heaven is located at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, 40 kilometers west of Sanya City. Established in the Southern Song Dynasty (1187 AD), it is the oldest scenic spot in Hainan Province and the southernmost Taoist cultural tourism destination in China. Since ancient times, it has been praised as the “No. 1 Scenic Wonder of Qiong Ya over Eight Hundred Years.” It has now developed into one of the first national 5A-level tourist attractions.

Since ancient times, Big and Small Cave Heaven has been the site of many historical visits by notable figures. The Tang Dynasty eminent monk Jianzhen, who made six attempts to sail east to Japan to spread Buddhism, drifted ashore at the Big and Small Cave Heaven coast during his fifth attempt, leaving behind a historic tale. Huang Daopo, a cotton textile technology innovator from the late Song to early Yuan Dynasty, picked and spun cotton in this area and set sail from here to spread the cotton planting and weaving techniques of Yazhou both domestically and overseas. Bai Yuchan, the Fifth Patriarch of the Southern School of Taoism during the Song Dynasty, once cultivated himself and preached here, forging an enduring connection between the Big and Small Cave Heaven and Taoism...

The transcendent scenery of Big and Small Cave Heaven has also attracted countless celebrities throughout history, who left behind numerous poems of praise. In 1962, Comrade Guo Moruo visited the site, wrote the poem “Visiting Aoyashan in Yazhou,” and had it engraved next to the Small Cave Heaven. On April 17, 1993, then General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission - visited the site and inscribed: “The blue sea meets the boundless sky; Qiong Ya is full of spring.” In January 1994, Zhao Puchu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China, inscribed the phrase “Fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea, longevity as enduring as Nanshan” for the scenic area.

Leveraging its unique ecological resources, naturally-formed mountain and sea landscapes, and profound historical and cultural heritage, Sanya’s Big and Small Cave Heaven has now developed into six main sightseeing areas: the “Cave Heaven and Blessed Land” area showcasing ancient Taoist traces, the “Longevity Nanshan” area highlighting longevity culture, the “Dragon King of the South Sea” area promoting Chinese dragon culture, the “Cliff Inscriptions” area revealing the cultural roots of ancient Yazhou, the “Mountain and Sea Wonders” area themed around coastal natural scenery, and the “Sanya Natural Museum” displaying the life forms from 140 million years ago, totaling over 50 attractions. Receiving over a million visitors annually, Sanya’s Big and Small Cave Heaven is an international tourist resort that follows the cultural thread of ancient Yazhou, integrating traditional Chinese Taoist and dragon cultures with coastal scenery, science education, folk customs, and leisure activities.

Scenic Area Address: 40 kilometers west of Sanya City, Hainan Province

Transportation: Take bus routes 25 or 29 within Sanya City and get off at the “Big and Small Cave Heaven” stop.

Address: Big and Small Cave Heaven Tourist Area, Nanshan, Yazhou, Yacheng, Sanya City

Type: Forest, Mountain, Seaside / Beach

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 3–4 hours

Phone: 0898-88830188

Official Website: http://www.sanyapark.com/

Opening Hours:

7:30-18:30

Transportation

Bus: Take bus route 21 (Phoenix Island to Nanbin Farm) or route 25 (Yalong Bay to Big and Small Cave Heaven) and get off at the Big and Small Cave Heaven scenic area stop.

Taxi: The one-way fare from downtown Sanya to the scenic area is about 110–130 RMB.

Ticket

Ticket: Off-season 108 RMB (generally May–September), peak season 130 RMB (October–April of the following year).

Discount Policies:

1. Children under 1.2 meters, seniors aged 70 and above (with valid ID), and holders of military or disabled military ID cards can enter free of charge.

2. Children aged 1.2–1.4 meters, seniors aged 60–69 (with valid ID), journalists (with credentials issued by the National Press and Publication Administration), students, and people with disabilities can enjoy a discounted ticket price of 54 RMB per person.