About 25 kilometers west of the city of Sanya, at the foot of Xiama Hill, lies the small town of Tianya (alternatively, Tian Ya). Tianya is home to Tianyahaijiao (Tianya Haijiao, or Tian Ya Hai Jiao) Tourism Zone, a park that is ranged along a fantastic beach that is dimpled with large stones, some in grotesque shapes, and one of which (one of the more regular-shaped, smooth stones) is quite famous, as it bears an inscription made by a certain Chengzhe, chief magistrate of Yazhou (alternatively, Ya Zhou) Prefecture, one of the former designations of the area on which the present-day city of Sanya sits. The inscription by chief magistrate Chengzhe reads simply: "Tian Ya", meaning "The Edge of the Sky". On a nearby stone is another inscription, though the author's identity is not known. This inscription reads: "Hai Jiao", or "The End of the Sea".
The Tianya Haijiao Scenic Spot sits on Maling Mountain facing the sea. Walking along the seashore, you will see a stone carved with four characters Nan Tian Yi Zhu, which means 'a pillar standing in the southern part of the sky' in Chinese. The story goes that when the local fishermen's daily life was affected by terrible storms, and they could hardly catch the fish, two kind-hearted fairy maidens transformed themselves into two large stones and stood on the beach to shelter the fishermen. From that time fishermen were safe from storms whenever they went to sea. But the maiden's master, the Mother Goddess of Heaven, was so furious that she dispatched the Thunder God to drag them back to Heaven. The two maidens refused, so the Thunder God broke them in two. One of them was thrown into the sea and the other one was left here. Near the remaining one lies another stone carved with the Chinese characters Hai Pan Nan Tian, which means 'the sea and the sky joined together'. It is the oldest stone inscription to be found here.
The main attraction at Tianyahaijiao Tourism Zone is of course the beach, which is so South-Sea-Island paradise-like that it is hard to connect it to the rest of bustling China. With palm trees gently swaying on sandy beaches and sparkling, pristine waters beckoning, one has to pinch oneself to remind oneself that this is not some sort of exotic, South-Sea-Island movie set.
Besides the three stones, modern facilities can be found such as a Shopping Center, the Li Ethnic Group Village and a Celebrity Sculpture. An international wedding festival is celebrated in Tianya Haijiao every year. Around the Mid Autumn Day, there is a Lantern Festival, which adds to the special atmosphere.
Tianya Haijiao is a heaven for people who are head over heals in love, and also an ideal place for people who are deeply in love with the sea. You will definitely have fond memories after visiting this scenic spot.
How to get there:
You can take the bus to Nanshan or Tianya from the West Station of Sanya City, the ticket price is CNY4.
Admission Fee: CNY 65
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00