Yazhou Bay
The far west of Sanya: the 108-metre Guanyin in the sea, a temple from the 1990s — and the region to which the empire once sent its exiles.
| Hotel | 2 nights Crowne Plaza Sanya Yazhou Bay, quiet new-build neighbourhood |
| Light | Sunrise approx. 06:49 · sunset approx. 17:58 — the statue stands in the west |
| Nanshan | about 10 km from the hotel, a whole day |
| Nearby | Daxiaodongtian (free since 2022) · old Yazhou |
What this section is about
Yazhou lies in the far west of Sanya, where the city ends and the coast becomes rural again. The name is old: for many centuries Yazhou was the administrative seat of the south of the island and, for the empire, literally the end of the world. In the 9th century the Tang chancellor Li Deyu was exiled here — you met his story in the Temple of the Five Lords in Haikou — and here he died.
Today the west of Sanya is known above all for one sight: the 108-metre Guanyin of Nanshan, standing on an artificial island in the sea. A whole day is devoted to it. Around it a new district with research institutes and hotels is growing — quieter than Sanya Bay, and a good place to catch your breath before the finale.
Getting around Yazhou Bay
The hotel is in a new, quiet neighbourhood, about ten kilometres from Nanshan and about half an hour from the airport. The easiest way to Nanshan is by Didi. Bus route 125 also runs along the coast, but some of its later services terminate earlier — check the connection in Amap on the day.
If you have more time, there are two quiet sights nearby: the coastal park of Daxiaodongtian with rocks and caves, free since 2022, and old Yazhou with its Confucius temple. Both are quickly reached by Didi.
- Buy the Nanshan ticket online with your passport; it saves a little and the queue at the ticket office.
- Book Didi early for the way back from Nanshan — at closing time there are hardly any cars at the exit.
- Wear respectful clothing in the temple halls; covered shoulders are never wrong.
- The free incense sticks are enough — don't accept expensive blessings from individuals.
Turquoise = blue hour · Gold = golden hour · Light = harsh midday light
Day by day
After the ride along the Western Line, by Didi to the hotel. Dinner nearby, early night.
By electric bus through the grounds: the Tang-style temple from the 1990s, then the Valley of Longevity.
In one of the restaurants on the site — Buddhist complexes serve meat-free food.
Up to the feet of Guanyin. The free incense sticks at the entrance are enough.