Hainan--Hawaii of the South China Sea

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Hainan, February 4-9, same latitude as Hawaii, was the exile for disgraced officials, now is a balmy vacation paradise. In 1988 Hainan became a SEZ (Special Economic Zone) and now 80% of the economy comes from tourism. The southern coast of the island, around Sanya, has the best beaches in China.

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Photos

coconut palm
Coconut palm tree in Sanya, Hainan. These are delicious coconuts and the trees are all over the island.

fruit seller
Hainan has all sorts of fruit. Most of it I can't identify. Have you ever heard of Jack fruit?

papaya
This looks like papaya.

baby buffalo
I wanted a photo of the water buffalos we saw. This is it, although this is a baby and it's hanging out at the fruit market and not working.

Wu and Linell
Wu helped set up this photo. It's more a traditional shot than the ones I take. I like this picture.

5 of us under the banyan tree
Posing under this tree is supposed to bring us good luck. Here we are with our two, young, Japanese friends.

travelmates
Here are the two young women we traveled with.

colorful shirts
A lot of our traveling friends bought these Hawaiian shirts, hats, etc.

riverboat ride
This was the riverboat ride. The flat rafts were pulled by a motor boat. The chairs are nailed on the rafts.

town along the road
The southern side of the island was dry except at the tourist sites. From the bus, it looked poorer than the northern part. I couldn't find any facts other than what I saw. I wonder if the farm water is now diverted to the tourist sites.

Hainan weaver
Here's a Hainan weaver. I bought one of her table runners. Her loom reminds me of the waist looms used in Guatemala. The designs are similar, too.

pig sign
Here's our first glimpse of a show we are going to see.

beach umbrellas
Here's an easy way to get shade. We saw a lot of umbrellas on the beach.

beautiful beaches
The beaches are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

pig out of water
Here's an intelligent pig coming out of the water.

pigs on ramp
The pigs are on the ramp on the right getting ready to jump. There must be some barrier up there, or they would have run back down the ramp. But they're intelligent!

swimming pigs
Pigs doing the doggie paddle; oops, the piggy paddle! But they are smart!

tourist hotel
Here's a very nice hotel. We enjoyed the pool area, the veranda, the balcony, etc.

bugs
Bugs on display for my relatives who like bugs.

li gate
New gate to enter the Li village. I had a lot of questions about the authenticity of this village.

li wedding ceremony
Here is the Li wedding ceremony show we watched.

Comments

[John Miller]

What a trip!!
Glad that you took a trip to a warm area. We are getting 70-80 here now ... and first hummingbirds are showing up in Mary's garden. We miss our Susie!!!

[Ellie]

Living Vicariously
Hi Susan, I so enjoy living vicariously through your travels. Hainan seems like a beautiful, exciting place! I look forward to seeing you when you return. I saw Michele at GCN yesterday and asked about your return date. We both love your travel blog! Enjoy, Ellie

[Peggy]

I just love your adventures....!
Looks like you had a good (though hectic) time. Can't wait for you to get back home so I can hear about all your adventures first hand.... Peggy

[Mary]

Hi Susan!!!
Remember us??? The adopting family? :) I was wondering how you were and if you were still in China, and here you are! lol Did you ever find a salt shaker? If not, let us know because we'll be back again in June. :) I love reading your blog. It's so fun! We are all well. Mary www.oneblessedfamily.com