Sanya Bay: Yalong Bay and Wuzhizhou Island

Background

Yalong Bay, in Jiyang District in southeastern Sanya, was once a fishing-village bay. In 1992 the Yalong Bay National Tourism Resort was established with State Council approval, and it has since grown from a small fishing village into an international resort lined with high-end hotels, one of China's earliest national tourism resorts. The bay has attractions such as the Central Square totem poles, a shell museum and Butterfly Valley, and the hills behind it hold the Tropical Paradise Forest Park, with tropical evergreen rainforest and semi-deciduous monsoon forest, a glass walkway with full sea views and Orchid Valley. Wuzhizhou Island lies in Haitang Bay in Haitang District, about 2.7 km offshore; it covers about 1.48 square kilometers with about 5.7 km of coastline, and its shape, like a butterfly or a heart, has earned it the name “Lovers' Island”. The island's vegetation is rich: English Wikipedia cites more than 2,700 plant species, including tree ferns and dragon's blood trees. The surrounding water is clear and the coral reefs are well preserved, making it one of Sanya's main diving bases. From 2011 China's first tropical marine ranch and artificial reef area was developed here, later becoming a national marine ranching demonstration zone. The thread linking the two places is the modern shift from fishing village to resort: what you come for here is seaside holiday scenery, not ancient monuments.

Local customs

At Yalong Bay, you can stroll and swim on the public beach (only where swimming is permitted), walk the glass walkway and Orchid Valley in the Tropical Paradise Forest Park, and climb up for views over Yalong Bay toward Haitang Bay. On Wuzhizhou Island, after the boat ride, take the island's loop shuttle cart to visit the bathing beach, Sunrise Rock, Lovers' Bridge and Lovers' Valley and the Mazu Temple in turn, and try diving or snorkeling with an instructor to see coral and tropical fish (within your limits, and without touching the coral).

Travel tips

• Sun protection, heat protection and staying hydrated come first
• bring swimwear, a change of clothes and non-slip water shoes (reef areas can cut). If you get seasick, prepare in advance and choose a well-ventilated seat on the boat
• food, drink and rentals on the island cost more than in town, so you may bring water and snacks, but follow island rules
• diving, jet skiing and similar activities have health and age requirements, as stated on site
• in typhoons or rough seas the ferry may be suspended, so check official notices before you go and do not insist on crossing. To get there, fly to Sanya Phoenix International Airport or take the high-speed train to Sanya or Yalong Bay Station, then take a city bus, taxi or ride-hailing car to Yalong Bay
• for Wuzhizhou Island, first go to the pier around Houhai Village in Haitang District: the boat is the only way onto the island, where you get around on foot or by shuttle cart. Yalong Bay's public beach is free, while private hotel beaches, the forest park, diving and other activities cost extra
• visiting Wuzhizhou Island (including the return boat) is paid, with the shuttle cart and water activities charged separately, all as officially announced.
• Sanya is warm all year, with an average annual temperature of about 25.5°C, and you can swim even in winter. October to April is dry with few typhoons and is the best season
• May to October is the rainy and typhoon season, humid, with wind and waves often reducing visibility, so always check the forecast and suspension notices before diving. During Spring Festival, National Day and other holidays the crowds are huge, so travel off-peak or arrive early.