Hainan island

Hainan (Chinese: 海南; pinyin: Hǎinán) is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China, located off the southern coast of the country. It consists of several islands, the largest of which is also called Hainan Island (Hainan Dao). When speaking of "Hainan" in Chinese, it is usually the main Hainan Island that is referred to. The PRC government claims Hainan's territories to extend to the southern Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands and other disputed marine territory. Hainan is also known as the largest Special Economic Zone laid out by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the late 1980s. As Hainan Island is not heavily industrialised, its greenery, together with its beautiful beaches and clean air, make it a popular tourist attraction. The island is accessible through ferry links with Guangdong province, as well as air links. There are two airports, Meilan Airport in Haikou, and Phoenix Airport in Sanya.

In December 2004, the Guangdong-Hainan passenger railway link opened, connecting Guangzhou in Guangdong province on the mainland to Hainan Island. The complete trip, which includes crossing the Qiongzhou Strait by ferry, takes a total of 12 hours. The project cost $583 million US and is expected to greatly enhance Hainan's tourism and economic development. This is important because Hainan currently lags well behind Shenzhen and Zhuhai special economic zones, which border Hong Kong and Macao, respectively.

Haikou is the province's capital and contains interesting historic sites. Also known as Coconut City, Haikou is a major port. The Five Official's Temple consists of five traditional temples and halls that were built in honour of five officials of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. These officials were banished to Hainan for periods ranging from 11 days to 11 years for speaking out against what they felt were wrong practices by the Emperors.

Hainan Island has many wonderful places to visit. Sanya: Official Resort for the 54th Miss World Final and the home of Miss World for China. At the southerly most point of Hainan Island lies the beautiful coastal city and area of Sanya, with its crystal clear waters , silver sands and palm trees that make it truly magical holiday location. A place that will capture the imagination of people form all walks of life, age, culture and interest with what seems like unsurpassable fun in the sun. Sanya is jam packed with high quality activities for all to enjoy including world class beaches like Yalong Bay, superb golf courses and an international holiday resort. On the same latitude as Hawaii, Hainan Islands – Sanya enjoys average temperatures of 28ş C in January and 25ş C in July while average yearly rainfall is 1,300 mm that make it the perfect vacation any time of year.