Sanya, known in ancient times as Yazhou, lies at the southern tip of Hainan Island on Sanya Bay, is the second-southernmost prefecture-level city nationally. The city is renowned for its tropical climate and has emerged as a popular tourist destination, also serving as the training site of the Chinese national beach volleyball team. The coastline in Sanya is 258.65 kilometers long, and the total sea area of 6,000 square kilometers. The main bays are Sanya Bay, Haitang Bay, Yalong Bay, Yazhou Bay, Dadong Bay, Moon Bay, and so on. There are 40 large and small islands and 10 main islands. The resident population is about 650,000, including Han, Li, Miao, Hui and other ethnic groups.
Beaches, diving, and seafood are the three eternal themes of Sanya tourism. They attract a lot of visitors from home and abroad year upon year. It is said that Sanya has the most well-preserved and beautiful beaches in China. All of the destinations of Sanya are linked to water, hence it attains its reputation as being the "Oriental Hawaii".
The city is served by Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Taxis are available throughout the city.
Buses from other parts of Hainan serve Sanya's bus terminal. The No. 8 bus connects the airport to Dadonghai Beach. From there, tourists can take the 24 or 25 bus to Yalong Bay or the 28 bus to Haitang Bay. There is also a free bus from Luhuitou Square to the Duty-free Shopping Center at Haitang Bay, the largest such center in China.
