Xincun — the village on the water

The people who weren't allowed on land

The Tanka, Danjia in Chinese, are the boat people of southern China. Their roots go far back in history, to the peoples of the southern coast long before the Han arrived. For centuries they lived on boats along the coasts and rivers from Fujian to Guangxi — not because they chose to, but because they weren't tolerated on land.

In many places they were not allowed to own land, marry into families on land or sit the civil service exams. Only in 1729 did Emperor Yongzheng officially lift these restrictions. For generations it changed little about their lives. The character of their name contains the sign for “egg” — usually interpreted as referring to the shape of the boats, sometimes to the fragility of that life.

From Guangdong across the sea

The Tanka of Xincun came from Guangdong province, from places such as Yangjiang, Jiangmen, Panyu and Shunde. Most families have lived here for seven or eight generations. Their language belongs to Cantonese and differs markedly from anything else you hear on Hainan.

Today Xincun counts more than 15,000 descendants of the Tanka, spread over three villages all named after seabirds: sea eagle, swallow and gull. In 2019 they were jointly added to the list of China's traditional villages. It is the largest and best-preserved Tanka community on the island.

A town of rafts

The Xincun lagoon is narrow at its entrance and wide inside, sheltered all round by the peninsula with Monkey Island. From above you see a maze of rafts, fish cages, wooden houses and walkways; the locals call it the “market on the sea”. According to 2024 figures it includes more than 500 households with rafts and around 2,700 boats.

Small motorboats shuttle between the rafts like buses and taxis, picking up residents, guests and goods at the quay. Come in the morning and you'll see the fishing boats going out and coming back, hear the rattle of engines and sometimes a song from one of the houses.

The big clean-up

A few years ago the lagoon was close to collapse. Too many fish cages, sewage and leftover feed — the water smelled, and coral, seagrass and mangroves suffered. In 2020 the county took action: the rafts and floating restaurants of 715 households were dismantled and more than 44 hectares of rafts removed from the lagoon.

Since then the water has visibly recovered; today you can again see fish down to the bottom. For many families it was a harsh cut: they had to move ashore, switch to offshore fish farming or live from tourism. In 2021 the raft owners founded their own association, which regularly fishes rubbish out of the water and runs sewage treatment on the rafts.

Songs, weddings and a school on a boat

The Tanka have their own song tradition, the “salt-water songs”. They were sung at work, against the loneliness on the water and at festivals. Weddings used to be held on boats, and the bride was sent off with laments sung by her sisters and friends. Boat weddings hardly exist any more, but many families still sing the laments before a wedding today.

Today's parents still went to floating schools, with lessons held on boats. Their children study on land — and now sing the old songs in school lessons, because older Tanka pass them on there.

From fish raft to hotel room

Some families have turned their old fish-farming rafts into floating restaurants and guesthouses. One of these raft guesthouses opened in 2021 with four rooms and now has 24. At Chinese New Year a room there cost almost 3,000 yuan a night, more than some luxury hotels in Sanya. A raft restaurant that started in the 1990s with four tables now has more than 300 seats.

Cooking is done the Tanka way: very simply, because salt and oil used to be scarce on the boats, mostly just boiled in water. The best-known dish is a rice porridge with pufferfish, considered a Xincun speciality.

How to approach the visit

At the harbour small boats wait to take you to the rafts for a few yuan or offer longer tours through the village. Agree the price before boarding, ideally with a number on your phone. The lagoon is most beautiful early in the morning.

On the raft restaurants, fish and seafood are charged by weight, per jin, i.e. 500 grams, just like at the First Market in Sanya. Only order once weight and price are clear. And don't forget: people live on many of the rafts — be considerate and don't photograph into houses without asking.