For decades, Hainan Island has been neatly summed up as the Hawaii of China. The description evokes all the correct ideas – sunny, warm, an island distinct from the rest of the country it belongs to – and for years, visitors have come from the northern latitudes to China’s southernmost province to escape the winter cold. The place they set their sights on is Sanya.

Russians start to head down at the first snow, followed by Beijing residents, and then, as the cold creeps farther, the Shanghainese start to arrive.
The first part of Sanya to get built up, in the early 1990s, was Dadonghai, a popular beach town lined with snack stalls and seafood restaurants. Loudspeakers emit an endless stream of safety warnings in Mandarin, English and Russian. On the water, there’s banana boating and jet skiing. It’s where the city centre and nightlife is.

Then they developed Yalong Bay, the next cove over. This is where many of the world’s big hotel companies like The Ritz-Carlton and Park Hyatt moved in, forming an exclusive getaway catering to high-end travellers seeking a family-friendly beach holiday. Guests are ensconced within the resorts’ own plots of sprinkler-maintained lawns. St Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort even has its own yacht-filled marina. The downside of Yalong Bay, however, has been lack of things to do outside the hotels, despite the opening of an outlet shopping mall last year and a seafood market that’s coming soon.