Sanya: less culture, more beaches

At Sanya, on Yalong Bay at the southern end of Hainan Island, sun and surf are the main attractions. One of China's 28 provinces, Hainan lies only 30 miles off the mainland's southern rim.

Forget whatever you know about China. Think rows of umbrellas on creamy beaches and poolside drinks at languorous international-brand resorts. Think tropical warmth, palm trees and humid breezes from the South China Sea. For children - or grown-ups, for that matter - who can take only so much ancient civilization in one trip, Hainan Island may be a welcome respite from culture fatigue before heading home.

Almost a million Americans visited China last year, making them the country's fourth-most-numerous nationality of tourists after Japanese, South Koreans and Russians. Strangely, however, the idea of tacking some lazy Hainan time onto a trip to China seems not to have caught on. Although 16 million Chinese tourists visited Hainan last year, only about a half million foreign tourists visited. Of those, most were from Hong Kong, Taiwan or other Asian nations; many were South Koreans in search of wintertime golf. Even among the 36,000 Americans and Canadians who showed up, most were expatriates taking a break from jobs in Shanghai or Beijing.

For tourists already in China, Hainan is a quick hop. Direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and other Chinese cities are frequent. A ferry links Zhanjiang on the mainland to Haikou. And train service (provided via rail-equipped ferries) from mainland cities all the way to Sanya was inaugurated for the May Day holidays.