West Island Marine Culture Tourism Zone (Sanya)

Located in the center of Sanya Bay, West Island is 8 nautical miles away from downtown Sanya, the only tropical seaside tour city in China. It takes only 10 minutes to reach the island by a yacht from Xiaoqi Port. The island is home to over 4,000 residents who have been living on fishing for generations and impress visitors with their kindness and hospitality. 

An aerial view of West Island. [Photo/syxidao.com]

West Island is also known as "West Daimao (hawksbill turtle) Island", which comes from a legend. The story goes that a long time ago, the Dragon King's heir attempted to achieve immortality at the cost of the lives of the fishermen in the South China Sea. Guanyin, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion and benevolence, ordered two immortal turtles to guard the sea, deterring the Dragon King's heir from doing evil, which allowed the fishermen to live and work in peace and happiness. Exposed to the sun, wind, and rain, the two turtles held fast to their position for a thousand years so that they turned into today's East Island and West Island.

As island boasts a tropical oceanic monsoon climate, the weather is mild and warm all year round, with less rain and storms. West Island also boasts fresh air, brilliant sunshine, white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and picturesque scenery. As its surrounding waters belong to a national coral reef nature reserve, West Island is enclosed with coral reefs of diverse shapes and a wide array of marine life.

Visitors enjoy themselves diving in the waters of West Island. [Photo/syxidao.com]

Praised as "an idyllic fairyland and dynamic paradise on the sea", West Island is believed to be a fascinating tourist destination with natural beauty, unique ecological resources, a distinctive tropical landscape, and exciting water sports. It has become a large holiday resort integrating travel and sightseeing, catering and accommodation, shopping, vacationing, as well as entertainment.

Visitors can enjoy themselves through a wide variety of water activities such as diving, sailing, surfing, swimming, parasailing, jet-skiing, playing beach volleyball, as well as riding on a glass boat or a banana boat.