Danzhou

Where Su Dongpo lived in exile, with the millennium-old scholarly heritage of Dongpo Academy, the Ocean Flower Island resort, the ancient Yangpu salt fields and Lanyang Hot Springs.

Danzhou lies in northwestern Hainan Island and is the largest prefecture-level city on Hainan by area; its government seat is Nada, and in the northwest the Yangpu Economic Development Zone and the Baimajing and Paipu areas face the Gulf of Tonkin. Known in ancient times as Dan'er, it is where the Northern Song poet Su Dongpo spent three years in exile, leaving behind Dongpo Academy and a rich legacy of Dongpo culture; Zhonghe Ancient Town was the seat of old Danzhou. The main sights fall into three areas: on the northwest coast, the Ocean Flower Island resort, the thousand-year-old Yangpu salt fields, the crashing waves of Longmen at E'man and Guangcun Silver Beach; Dongpo Academy and the ancient town in Zhonghe; and around Nada, the Lanyang Hot Springs, the tropical botanical garden, Songtao Reservoir and Shihua Water Cave. The climate is tropical monsoon; Oct–Apr is best, while summers are hot and rainy with typhoons. You can take the round-island high-speed railway to Yintan, Baimajing or Haitou stations, or drive about 2 hours from Haikou or Meilan Airport; sights are spread out, so self-driving or hiring a car with driver is recommended. Allow 2–3 days: one day at Ocean Flower Island, one for Dongpo Academy, Zhonghe and the salt fields, plus time for the hot springs. Food to try includes Danzhou milan rice noodles, Guangcun sandworms, Baimajing seafood and Danzhou zongzi.

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