SANYA, CHINA - August 15: A beach restaurant awaits guests in the Mandarin Oriental hotel resort on the on the Dadonghai bay, coast of Sanya on August 15, 2010 in Hainan province, China. Sanya is the southernmost city of Hainan island, located in the Southern Chinese Sea. Sometimes referred to as the Hawaii of China because of its tropical climate, palm trees and white-sand beaches, Sanya is a booming tourism destination. (Photo by Lucas Schifres/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Hainan

China’s largest tropical island boasts all the balmy weather, coconut palms and gold-sand beaches you could ask for. Down at Sanya it’s see-and-be-seen on the boardwalks or escape altogether at some of Asia’s top luxury resorts. Thatched huts and banana pancakes haven’t popped up anywhere yet, but there’s a hint of hipness coming from the east-coast beachside towns, and the budding surf scene is helping to spread the gospel of chill out.


Attractions

Must-see attractions

Articles

Latest stories from Hainan

Filter by interest:

China now boasts the world's largest high-speed rail network, with more than 22,000km of track © Xinhua News Agency / Getty

Beaches

China's most epic high-speed rail journeys

Aug 24, 2017 • 7 min read

Go Beyond

Hainan and beyond