HAINAN is the smallest and southern-most province of China and Hainan Island is the main island of the province.
It is located in the South China Sea, separated from Guangdong’s Leizhou Peninsula to the north by the shallow and narrow Qiongzhou Strait.There are a total of eight major cities and 10 counties in Hainan Province. Haikou on the northern coast of Hainan Island is the capital whilst Sanya is a well-known tourist ‘beaches and bays’ destination on the south coast.Hainan has over 1,500 sq km of tropical forest, in which live 4,600 kinds of plants and more than 570 species of animals.Ethnic groups of Hainan included the Han Chinese, known as the Hainanese, who are the majority (84 per cent of the population); the Li (Hlai) (14.7 per cent of the population); the Miao (0.7 per cent) and the Zhuang (0.6 per cent).Their lifestyles and traditions are celebrated and provide an essential ingredient to the visitor experience.The Li are the largest indigenous group on the island in terms of population. Also found on the island are the Utsuls, descendants of Cham refugees, who are classified as Hui by the Chinese government. There is a Tanka community that live at Sanya Bay. Although they are indigenous to the island and do not speak a Chinese language, the Limgao (Ong-Be) people near the capital (eight per cent of the population) are counted as Han Chinese.Compared to most of mainland China, the air quality of Hainan is far higher. Throughout 2012, for example, it had the highest air quality in the country.It has a tropical moist monsoonal climate. Its annual temperature change is within a range of less than 15 °C but best avoid booking from January to February, as the island is affected by thick fog, caused by cold winter air from the north coming into contact with the warmer sea.Top hotels include the five-star Narada Resort & Spa Qixian Mount in the tropical rainforest and boasting a hot spring, set at the foot of the Seven Fairy Mountain. The Royal Begonia Luxury Collection Resort, Sanya, features 142 luxuriously-appointed guest rooms and 18 private villas nestled on sparkling ivory beaches.