Danzhou is a great place to visit in winter, with fewer people and beautiful scenery
❄️ In winter, you may want to take a spontaneous trip. Danzhou, a hidden gem on the west coast of Hainan, is a great choice. Pack your bags and start your own journey of discovery in Danzhou! 🌴
🌍 About Danzhou
Danzhou is located in the northwest of Hainan Island, facing the Beibu Gulf. It is the economic, transportation, communication, and cultural center of western Hainan. It has a rich history and charming natural scenery, making it a unique city on Hainan Island.
🏞️ Scenic Features
Danzhou's beauty is a blend of magnificent mountains and seas and cultural charm. The mountains are undulating, the forests are dense, the coastline is long and winding, and the beaches are fine. Ancient relics tell stories of thousands of years, and unique folk customs show the local people's way of life.
🌟 Must-visit Attractions
1. 🐒 Shihua Water Cave Geological Park: This is a natural underground karst cave filled with stalactites of various shapes, creating a dreamlike fairyland under the lights. The park is recommended for its natural beauty and the wonders of the underground world. The highlight is the "One Stone, Two Flowers" landscape in the cave, which is a must-see.
2. 🌊 Ocean Flower Island: An artificial island built by Evergrande, featuring global styles. It has European castles, exotic shopping streets, and luxury hotels. A visit here is like a world tour, with a variety of entertainment options, especially the dazzling light show at night.
3. 🏯 Dongpo Academy: Built in memory of Su Dongpo, it has an ancient charm. Here, you can appreciate Dongpo culture and learn about that period of history. Stroll through the academy and feel the scholarly atmosphere, with deep courtyards and a long-lasting ancient charm.
4. 🌳 Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden: A tropical plant kingdom with thousands of rare plants. Walking through it feels like being in a green fairyland, where you can learn about plants and breathe fresh air, making it a great place to get close to nature.
5. 🛕 Longmen Jilang: A volcanic rock coastal wonder, where waves crash against black reefs, creating snow-like spray. Standing on the shore, listening to the waves and watching the sea is a soul-stirring experience. You can also enjoy the stunning sunset, making it a place you'll never want to leave.
6. 🏞️ Songtao Reservoir: The largest artificial lake in Hainan, with a vast lake surface and endless blue waves. Surrounded by mountains, boating on it feels like being in a painting, where you can appreciate the beauty of mountains and water and enjoy tranquility and comfort.
7. 🐚 Thousand-year-old Salt Field: The earliest existing ancient salt field using sun-drying, with neatly arranged salt pans. Witness ancient salt-making techniques, experience the fun of making salt, and appreciate the wisdom of ancestors.
🍱 Food
Danzhou's cuisine is unique and not to be missed:
• 🍜 Changpo Rice Noodles: Thin rice noodles like vermicelli, served with beef jerky, peanuts, and other condiments, with a smooth texture and fragrant aroma.
• 🥥 Luoji Zongzi: Made with glutinous rice, pork belly, salted egg yolk, and other ingredients, with a fragrant aroma, soft and sticky texture, and rich but not greasy taste.
• 🐚 Haitou Pig Intestine Bun: Shaped like pig intestines, but actually rice noodle skin wrapped with filling, served with a special dipping sauce, with a sour and spicy taste.
🛏️ Accommodation
• 🏨 Ocean Flower Island: The island has many hotels, from luxurious five-star hotels to budget apartments, meeting different needs. You can enjoy various entertainment options downstairs, with convenient transportation.
• 🌆 Danzhou City: There are many business hotels and homestays, with affordable prices and complete facilities. They are close to local markets and restaurants, allowing you to experience authentic local life.
🚗 Transportation Guide
• ✈️ By Air: You can first arrive at Haikou Meilan International Airport or Sanya Phoenix International Airport, and then take a high-speed train to Danzhou. There are frequent trains, making it convenient and fast.
• 🚄 By High-speed Train: High-speed trains on the island go directly to Danzhou, with stations such as Baimajing Station and Yintan Station. Choose according to your itinerary, and you can take a taxi or transfer to a bus after getting off the train.
• 🚌 City Transportation: Some buses cover scenic spots, with different operating hours. You can also choose to take a taxi or rent a car for self-driving, making travel more free.
📝 Travel Tips
• The temperature difference between morning and evening in Danzhou in winter is slightly large, so remember to bring a light jacket 🧥.
• When playing by the sea, pay attention to sun protection and prepare sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat 👒.
• When tasting food, you can go to small shops frequented by locals, where the taste is authentic and the price is affordable.
Danzhou, a warm city in winter, is waiting for you to discover its beauty. Start an unforgettable journey! 💕
Dongpo Academy was a highlight of our trip to Ocean Flower Island, and it was the only time we went off-island. It's definitely worth a visit; it's a great place to experience history, culture, and scenery all at once. There were also occasional short performances during our visit, which were quite interesting.
In Haikou, we visited the Five Officials Temple to pay homage to the five elders of Su Dongpo who were exiled to Hainan in ancient times. In Danzhou, we visited the place where Su Dongpo lived during his three years of exile. Although the park is not large, it has a strong Jiangnan (southern China) flavor and cultural charm. The craftsmen were cutting down camphor trees. They were friendly and enthusiastic; they would saw off a piece for any tourist who wanted it. I kept one too. The craftsman said the wood could repel mosquitoes, and I put it in my suitcase; it smelled very fresh. It was the first time I had ever seen freshly felled camphor wood.
In Danzhou, we went to Ocean Flower Island. We took bus number 13 from the Oubao Hotel at 2 PM for free to Dongpo Academy. The academy wasn't very big, and the weather was sunny. It was nice to take a walk around Dongpo Bridge. We walked around the academy and finished taking photos in a little over half an hour.
This is one of the three most important places in Su Dongpo's life. It is the first place to teach in the wild land of Hainan. The people of Hainan never forget Mr. Dongpo's kindness and commemorate him for generations. However, it is a pity that there are few historical relics preserved in the academy, and most of the buildings are newly built in modern times. In addition, the road to the scenic spot is narrow and the parking lot is too small, so it is inconvenient for tourists to drive there by themselves.
In mid-May in Hainan, the weather was hot in the afternoon, so we visited Dongpo Academy. Dongpo Academy is located in the southeast of Zhonghe Town, Danzhou City. The streets are very quiet, and there is no car in the parking lot of Dongpo Academy. We drove directly to the scenic spot. After entering the gate of the scenic spot, the first thing we saw was the open lotus pond, and the lotus has not yet bloomed on a large scale. Following the signpost, a few dozen meters after entering the gate of the scenic spot is Dongpo Academy. The ticket price of Dongpo Academy is 20 yuan, and the gatehouse is not big. Su Dongpo was exiled to Danzhou for three years, and stayed in the Zaijiutang, which later developed into Dongpo Academy. In April of the fourth year of Shaosheng (1097), Su Dongpo was demoted to Danzhou. In the first year of Yuanfu (1098), Su Dongpo and the military envoy Zhang Zhong visited Li Ziyun together and named his house: Zaijiutang. In 1111, Su Dongpo returned to the north. In the 27th year of Ming Jiajing (1548), someone taught here, and Zaijiutang was changed to Dongpo Academy. During the Cultural Revolution, all the cultural relics of Dongpo Academy were destroyed. After entering the gate, the first thing you see is Zaijiutang, which is a double-masted hip roof structure with two floors, four corners on the upper floor and eight corners on the lower floor. The corners are staggered and tilted up to look like they are about to fly. Zaijiutang was the place where Su Dongpo lived and gave lectures when he was demoted to Changhua Army (now Danzhou City). "Qiongtai Chronicle History" records: Song Su Wenzhong was exiled to Dan'er, where he gave lectures and enlightened people, and education flourished. The prosperity of Qiongzhou's humanities was actually initiated by him. The main hall in the academy and the two sides of the hall are decorated with red and black patterns. The hall is located behind the Zaijiu Hall, and there are corridors on the left and right sides, which are adjacent to the Zaijiu Hall, forming a quadrangle. There is a hundred-year-old mango tree in the courtyard, with lush leaves and thick shade, making the whole courtyard look quiet and solemn. The colorful sculptures of Dongpo's lectures are displayed in the middle of the hall, and the images of Su Dongpo, the Confucian scholar Li Ziyun and other characters are vivid. In front of the hall, the bronze statue of Dongpo wearing a hat and sandals stands among the colorful flowers.
It's worth a visit. Although the scenic spot is not big and some places are under maintenance and repair, the experience is still good. There happened to be a Su Dongpo poetry recitation competition in the park for primary, secondary and university students. It should be the finalists who were rehearsing, which added a lot of color to the scenic spot. The cultural atmosphere is strong and the experience is good. It's very good.
Su Dongpo, a famous scholar, once served as an official in Hainan for several years, leaving behind a famous Dongpo Academy in Zhanzhou. Raise your posture! I bought tickets and went to the academy. Although all I saw were things rebuilt and rebuilt by later generations, it is very rare that the place where Su Dongpo once lived can be preserved. Have a picture. Look for yourself. If you think you haven't seen enough, you can go to Hainan to see the real scenery.
[Danzhou Sudongpo Academy] In the fourth year of Shaosheng (1097 A.D.), Mr. Dongpo was demoted to Qiongzhou Driver Avoidance. He first lived in the official house of Danzhou, and then was expelled by his superiors. He built several huts in the Eucalyptus Forest and lived there, named as the Eucalyptus Nunnery. Mr. Su spent three years in exile accompanied by his younger son. He met with relatives and friends, gave lectures to students of the Han and Li nationalities, disseminated the culture of the Central Plains, and was deeply loved by the local people. Three years later, Mr. Dongpo died of illness on his way home in Changzhou. There are 251 tickets for scenic spots, and 6 poems of Mr. Dongpo will be recited free of charge. To the east of the Yangtze River, the waves wash away the sand, and the people who have been in fashion for thousands of years. On the west side of the base, the humanity is Zhoulang Chibi of the Three Kingdoms. The rocks pierced through, the waves beat the shore and rolled up thousands of snowmen. Picturesque scenery, how many heroes!