Info for Travelers City Snapshots SANYA - A city of contrast to arouse the senses and soothe the soul
SANYA - A city of contrast to arouse the senses and soothe the soul
An island paradise that belies the traditional view of a Chinese city
Ambling down the silvery sands of a secluded, sun-drenched beach, my feet are briefly enveloped by the soothing embrace of the sparkling turquoise of the South China Sea. A warm, tropical breeze caresses my travel-wearied body, silhouetted against the back-drop of a sensory enveloping ambient scenery – the distant, undulating hills, festooned with virgin tropics that spill into the valley, where at its base lies the contrasting frenzied metropolis of Sanya – a city whose majestic natural surrounds coupled with its vibrant human presence belies the cacophony of din and clamour that most Australian’s expect of a Chinese city.
It is justly becoming one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations. Located on the southern tip of the island of Hainan, the city had for decades remained one of China’s best-kept secrets, a tropical oasis bejewelled with a captivating mix of natural marvels, outdoorsy leisure and bristling human activity, sans the merciless heat and ubiquitous smog that is oft associated with the more traditional Asian destinations.
Sanya Bay, Yalong Bay and Dadonghai, all jewels of Sanya’s gilded ocean landscape, are some of the first choices for visitors to this picturesque part of the city. While playing the back-nine at one of the award winning golf courses or simply idling away the time laying on one of the thatch-roofed-hut lined beaches, invariably your gaze will be drawn out towards the view of the sensory enveloping, sparkling vista encompassing the gleaming ocean expanse that hugs the island’s sandy borders with its timeless ebb and flow – accented masterfully by the clear azure sky, the pleasantly warm climate and the popping open of the Champagne.
The city’s jaw-droppingly beautiful tropical landscape and tourist beguiling coastline engender a relaxed pace, and as you meander further away from the shore, the soul soothing surrounds begin to contrast with the hectic tempo of the Sanya metropolis, sandwiched in between the looming hills to its rear and the gleaming oceanic landscape at its fore. Within this frenzied juncture of human activity, akin to that perceived style of the typical Asian city, the air hums with the energy of all this contrast. From the overcrowded shopfronts hawking their wares to haggle-wary tourists, to the flotilla of junks seemingly suspended on the surface of the river inlet that meanders through the valley and into the furthest wilds of the Hainan tropics, it is a city that morphs the disparate ideas of man and nature, holding the senses captive with a beguiling energy that sweeps you up in its wake.
Respite from the frenzy of the city can be sought in the local culture, a way of life still deeply rooted in its vibrant two thousand year history and awash with the ancient practices of its forefathers. One such historical remnant, the Lu Hui Tou, a statue that harkens back to the romantic superstitions of the island that is so typical of the traditions of the Mystic East, is a curious point of intrigue for inquisitive visitors.
Shamanistic treasures aside, it’s hard to resist the gluttony posed by the local cuisine, replete with a variety of seafood, delicious tropical fruits and copious servings of the ubiquitous green tea that is a staple of the Chinese lifestyle. The human presence that courses through the island – with more than 20 ethnic groups including the Han, Li, Miao, Hui who inhabit Sanya – exhibit a melange of Chinese tradition to nourish the cultural appetite of the island’s visitors that contrasts so starkly with the city’s untouched, natural beauty, helping to engender a heady feeling of curious wonderment that both arouses the senses and soothes the soul.