The island appears on the horizon. Its shining green mountains, bounded by a broad band of sand, seem to grow out of the sea.

Bao Shidong screws up his eyes, puts his head on one side and stares for a long time toward land. He's been a sea fisherman for ten years. "Hainan is especially beautiful from the water," he says.

Hainan province: That's where the giant Chinese land-mass, stretching southward, created an island that's covered with palms and populated by wild monkeys.

The climate is tropical, like on Hawaii. Once upon a time, people were banished
here because the island had no cities and was several weeks' journey from the political and economic centers of the realm. The emperor sent criminals and disgraced officials to Hainan. They called the southern tip of the island near Sanya "the end of the world."
Bao Shidong cuts the engine just before entering Sanya harbor. It's late and most of the other fishermen have already come in. Bao guides his small, blue, wooden boat toward the pier. The fishermen on the other boats are already lying in the shade. Tourists standing on the pier take photos of the boats.For a long time, Sanya harbor was used only by fishermen. Then in 1978, China's reform-minded premiere Deng Xiaoping called on the people to get rich - and the Chinese did as they were told. They worked hard and year by year their situation improved. First they bought televisions, then they bought refrigerators, then air conditioners, condominiums and cars. Now they're buying vacations, and it hasn't taken long for the Chinese to start flocking to Hainan like the Germans flock to Mallorca.
Hainan island is China's southern most province 34,000 m2 area - almost the size of Switzerland Hainan's eight millions inhabitants belong to 37 different ethnic groups, among them the Han, Li, Miao and Hui Average temperatures range between 22 and 26 degrees Ceicius and the sun shines 300 days a year

Hainan island is China's southern most province 34,000 m2 area - almost the size of Switzerland Hainan's eight millions inhabitants belong to 37 different ethnic groups, among them the Han, Li, Miao and Hui Average temperatures range between 22 and 26 degrees Ceicius and the sun shines 300 days a year

A mountain road serpentines up from the center of Sanya to the village of Dao-hon where the Li minority
have lived for centuries. The roofs of their huts are covered with palm leaves. Older women have traditional tattoos all over their bodies. Simple life in the mountains hardly changed during the years in which the country was modernizing.
A tourist bus stops and 30 vacationers get off, all dressed the same with yellow caps and parasols. They walk to the center of the village, take pictures of each other with the locals, climb back on the bus and drive off. The Chinese don't yet have time to unwind when they're on holiday, but when the entire country stops work during the spring festival and the national holiday week, the island gets as noisy as a children's birthday party.
Every year, nearly four million tourists visit Sanya. Most come from the wealthy cities along China's eastern coast, but a few have started arriving from Europe. They come to see palm trees, to take photographs, to play golf and to eat the famous local fish specialties.
The "beautiful island of Hainan" is how it's described
in a Chinese school textbook. Everyone in China has read that text, and everyone has dreamt about the mysterious island in the south. Most Chinese come to Sanya for their very first vacation, which they expect to be as relaxing and intense as possible.
The five-star Gloria Resort on the "Bay of the Asian Dragon" east of Sanya is a lovely place to spend an afternoon by the sea. Palm trees line the path to its door.

What to do

Yalong Bay Golf Course
Yalong Bay National Resort District, Sanya. Tel. +86-898/88565888  Course shaped like a dragon's claw and rated among the world's top 100.
River Rafting
Wan Quanhe River Rafting Resort, Yanyuan Water Power Station, Qionghai Tel. +86-898/66762516
 

Where to stay

Hilton Sanya Resort & Spa
Yalong Bay National Resort District, Sanya. Tel. +86-898/88588888 www.hilton.de/sanya The Hilton Sanya Resort only opened this year and has 501 generously apportioned rooms, each with a bathtub in the middle. Some of the ground-floor rooms have direct access to the hotel park. The IZE restaurant serves good fish.
Sheraton Haikou Resort
199 Binhai Road, Haikou
Tel. +86-898/68708888
www.sheraton.com/haikou

The Sheraton Haikou Resort is the best hotel in Haikou. The resort has modern rooms with light furnishings situated right on the sea and only fifteen minutes from town.

Sanya Marriott Resort & Spa
Yalong Bay National Resort District,
Sanya. Tel. +86-898/88568888
www.marriott.com
The Sanya Marriott has 432 sumptuous rooms and 24 suites tropically located in a park full of palms by the sea.

Where to eat

Jin Guan Fang
Guomao Jinlong Road, Haikou

Tel. +86-898/68510118

One of the best restaurants in town. Lovingly decorated with classical Chinese antiques. Watch out for the red hot chili peppers!

Spice Garden Pan Asian Restaurant
im Sheraton Sanya Resort
Yalong Bay National Resort District,
Sanya. Tel. +86-898/88558855
Modern Asian cuisine from Japan, China and Southeast Asia.