Hainan Island- Haikou and Sanya 海口 & 三亚(winter break trip)

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OK, less talk more pictures.

Hainan (海南) was great. To give a brief introduction: Hainan is the tropical island off the mainland in the South China Sea. It is called the "Hawaii of China." The island's two main cities are Haikou (海口) on the northern tip and Sanya (三亚) on the southern tip. Although the two cities are just across the island from eachother, they are quite different in feel. Haikou is similar to many Chinese cities: a little bit too crowded, a little bit too dusty and really bad traffic. Sanya on the other hand is absolutley paradise. A much smaller city in size, Sanya boasts fantastic seafood restaurants and a beachline that runs as far as the eye can see in both directions. Unfortunately during the stay, the weather was less than perfect. Just like the previous week, the first day was gorgeous and then the rest of the time was more or less cloudy. It was more than tolerable however because the temperature was in the 70's the whole time so I wasn't too disappointed.


The highlight of the trip was definitely a place called Nanshan (南山) which means South Mountain. It is a huge tourist complex, speckled with Buddhist temples and beautiful ocean views. The main attraction is a massive statue of Guanyin which is located a quarter mile or so off the beach in the ocean.



To put it simply, if you find yourself in southern China, take the short flight to Sanya and relax for a week or so. It's worth it.

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Photos

construction
The view from our hotel room in Haikou. Like most Chinese cities, Haikou is rapidly developing. In a year or two this area will be replete with hotels and shopping centers.

construction 2
A high rise mid-construction from above.

kite time!
Chinese love kites

valcanic park
This is the remains of an old lava flow.

fruit truck
Definitely one of the highlights of the trip was the unlimited supply of cheap and delicious fruit.

baozi
Most westerners have seen or eaten jiaozi or dumplings, but they've never had baozi or steamed buns. They are delicious and are generally found on the side of roads at small vendor stands like this one.