Railway back to Sanya

In the beginning of 2007, the railway between Haikou and Sanya was reopened. That is very important for the communication in Hainan. When we travelled around in 2006 we could study the intensive work with the new embankment, but we couldn't believe this project should be finished so fast - that is China today.

This railway is linking together many important stations all over China. For example, you can travel with train from Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Haikou and Sanya.The Hainan railway is creating new chances for Chinese and others to be tourists in Hainan in a cheap and comfortable way.

We are on the train and have just started from the new railway station about 20 km outside the centre of Haikou, 9:15 in the morning. Many travellers have just stopped in Haikou. But others follow us on the 4 hour-trip to Sanya. Some of them are very sleepy after a long, long journey, coming from places far away.

Tre train is very comfortable and members of the personnel are often cleaning the compartments. Soon the sleepy passengers have woken up and put the curtains away from the windows. We can see the mountains raising their green soft waves billowing up against the bare tops. As we are in China with its special kind of mythology I can see dragons climbing up the hills and they are a good part of the world - not evil like in Western stories.

On our right, the Southern Chinese Sea is all the time giving us exiting views. So many white beaches without men or creatures. So much silence. So much to discover. Here is the domination of The Dragon King of the South Chinese Sea. We can meet him in Dongtian Park.

The richness of rice fields and green plantations of vegetables, for example fruits like bananas and papaya., is the same as on the east side of Hainan.

The last 40 km of our railway trip is passing Dongtian Park and Buddha Park. We can see the 108 m high Buddha statue raising up from the sea and we are soon passing also The End of The Earth.

Then we can see Sanya Bay coming against us, mile after mile with palms along the sandy beach. We are at home and embark at a new station some miles from downtown Sanya.
Anyone can arrange such a trip around Hainan, alone or in a group. Just order an overnight in Haikou. Stay two days, if You also want to visit The Leiqiong Vulcano Geopark, not far from the railway station. That is something spectacular, now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There You can get explanations about Hainan's very interesting geology. (Don't forget a map with text both in Chinese and English...then Hainan is Yours.)

Bertil Peterson