Sanya Tropical Coastal Scenic Area

Sanya Tropical Coastal Scenic Area

The Sanya Tropical Coastal Scenic Area is a national-level scenic spot.

The Sanya Coastal Scenic Area is located in Sanya City, Hainan Province, covering a total area of approximately 212 square kilometers. It consists of attractions such as Haitang Bay, Yalong Bay Resort, Dadonghai Resort, Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area, Luobi Cave Tourist Area, and Da-Dao Tianya Scenic Area. In 1994, it was designated as a National Key Scenic Area.

Haitang Bay

Sanya

Haitang Bay is actually only "half of a bay." It is situated at the border between Haitang Town in Sanya City and Yingzhou Town in Lingshui Li Autonomous County. Due to administrative divisions, what was originally a complete bay was split in two—the half within Sanya’s jurisdiction is called Haitang Bay, while the other half within Lingshui is named Tufu Bay. The combined shoreline of these two “half bays” totals 25 kilometers. Haitang Bay, along with Yalong Bay, Dadonghai Bay, Sanya Bay, and Yazhou Bay, is ranked among the five most famous bays in the Sanya tourism area. Historically, Haitang Bay Town was also known as Tengqiao Market and has long been a strategic location for Sanya. It was once an administrative center with thriving commerce, and together with Yingzhou Town in Lingshui, Baoting's Sandao Farm, and Nantian Farm, they were referred to as the “two towns and two farms,” serving as distribution hubs for agricultural and daily necessities in southern Hainan. Haitang Bay offers diverse and breathtaking scenery. Being far from urban centers, most areas remain undeveloped, preserving an untouched natural beauty that adds unique charm to Sanya’s tourism. Its 19-kilometer shoreline boasts picturesque views, with a network of waterways, scattered green oases, and lush grasslands. To the south, Haitang Bay neighbors the Yalong Bay National Tourism Resort and combines azure sea, blue skies, green mountains, silver sands, verdant oases, striking capes, and meandering rivers.

Yalong Bay Resort

The Yalong Bay Resort is located 28 kilometers southeast of Sanya City, China’s southernmost tropical coastal tourist destination. It is a crescent-shaped bay at the southernmost tip of Hainan, stretching about 7.5 kilometers and is one of Hainan’s renowned scenic spots. With a 7-kilometer-long stretch of soft, white, and gently sloping beach, the shallow waters extend 50–60 meters wide. The sand is pure and fine, and the seawater is crystal-clear and azure, with visibility of 7–9 meters. The bay is rich in marine life, including coral reefs, various tropical fish, and precious shellfish. With an average annual temperature of 25.5°C and sea temperatures ranging from 22–25.1°C, swimming is possible year-round. It is hailed as the “Number One Bay Under Heaven.”

Dadonghai Resort

The Dadonghai Resort features a crescent-shaped bay with vast, mirror-like waters where white sands blend seamlessly with sunlight, clear blue water, sandy beaches, and lush green trees, creating a stunning tropical landscape. The area enjoys spring-like weather all year round, with warm water and flat sands. In winter, the water temperature remains around 18°C, making it a prime destination for winter swimming, escaping the cold, and enjoying diving, swimming, and sunbathing. Dadonghai has been rated as one of China’s “Top Forty” tourist attractions by the National Tourism Administration. Known for its “warm water, white sands, and flat beach,” Dadonghai has long been internationally renowned. The bay is shaped like a bow, with two small parallel mountain ranges to the southeast resembling walls built into the vast South China Sea, forming both the bay and a natural barrier. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the other, Dadonghai is embraced by rows of emerald-green coconut palms. Its unique beauty of sapphire sea, green hills, swaying palms, and white sands captivates visitors from around the world.

Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area

The Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area is located at the foot of Xiamaling Mountain in Tianya Town, about 23 kilometers from downtown Sanya. Nestled between the sea in front and mountains behind, it offers distinctive scenery. Upon entering the scenic area, visitors are greeted by a pair of towering greyish-blue boulders rising from the beach—each over 10 meters high and stretching around 60 meters long. These stones are inscribed with the characters “Tianya” (Edge of the Sky) and “Haijiao” (End of the Sea), symbolizing the edge of the heavens and the extremity of the oceans. Here, azure waters and blue skies merge, with misty waves, scattered sails, swaying coconut groves, and uniquely shaped rocks creating a picturesque scene. The massive stones carved with “Tianya,” “Haijiao,” “Nan Tian Yi Zhu” (Pillar of Southern Heaven), and “Hai Pan Nan Tian” (Sea Defines Southern Heaven) stand proudly on the coast of the South China Sea, making them a unique highlight of Hainan.

Luobi Cave Tourist Area

The Luobi Cave Tourist Area is located on Yinling, a peculiar small hill about 7 kilometers northeast of Lizhi Gou Town in Sanya City. It is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Sanya. Surrounded by lush forests, blooming flowers, birds chirping in the woods, monkeys calling from cliffs, and cicadas buzzing amid industrious bees and butterflies, Yinling is dotted with countless limestone caves of all shapes and sizes. Among them, the most famous are three caves on the eastern side of the hill—Luobi Cave, Xianlang Cave, and Xiannv Cave. Luobi Cave lies beneath the cliffs on the eastern side of Yinling. Towering ancient trees surround the entrance, providing dense shade, while cicadas herald the autumn chill and birds sing in the tranquil mountains, giving off an ethereal, otherworldly vibe. Legends say that in ancient times, a high monk chose this serene place for spiritual practice after his lifetime of merit; others say sacred scriptures were sealed deep within the rock layers, waiting to be revealed to a chosen one; still others speak of giant footprints entering and exiting the cave without ever seeing their owner—all adding to the site’s mysterious, naturally crafted wonder.

Da-Dao Tianya Scenic Area

The Da-Dao Tianya Scenic Area (formerly known as Haishan Qiguan Scenic Area and historically called Aoshan Da-Dao Tianya) is located 40 kilometers west of Sanya City along the coast. Covering a total area of 22.5 square kilometers, it boasts a history of over 800 years. The scenic area is famed for its stunning seascapes, mountain views, and rocky landscapes, and is honored as the premier mountain and sea attraction in Hainan. The Yazhou Bay curves with a circumference of hundreds of li, offering vast, jade-like waters, while Aoshan is shrouded in deep forests with verdant peaks and uniquely shaped caves, all showcasing nature’s exquisite craftsmanship. The interplay between mountains and sea forms an ancient and elegant seascape painting. Throughout history, poets and scholars have been captivated by this landscape. In 1962, Guo Moruo visited “Da-Dao Tianya” and was deeply impressed by its mountain and sea vistas. In his poem “Visiting Aoyashan in Yazhou County,” he praised it as the “Marvelous Land of the Southern Sea.” The scenic area also features historical landmarks associated with notable figures. For instance, the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen, along with 35 others including Japanese disciples Rōei, Fushō, Xiangyan, and Situo, landed here during their fifth attempt to sail to Japan. Stranded by a typhoon, they established the Dayun Temple here to spread Buddhist culture. During the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, the female textile innovator Huang Daopo traveled to and from Yazhou Bay, introducing advanced cotton cultivation and spinning techniques to inland China, leaving a lasting legacy.

Other Related Information

The Dadonghai–Yalong Bay Scenic Area was selected as one of China’s “Top Forty Tourist Attractions” in 1991. The Yalong Bay National Resort and Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area have both been designated as National 4A-level Tourist Attractions. On May 8, 2007, the Nanshan Da-Dao Tianya Scenic Area in Sanya was officially approved by the National Tourism Administration as a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Scenic Areas