Sanya Culture

Besides sunshine, sea water, beach, green vegetation and clean air, as well as unique tourism resources including rivers, ports, hot springs, caves, pastoral, tropical plants and animals, Sanya also boasts profound culture and rich ethnic customs. Hainan's indigenous people are mostly Li and Miao, they have maintained their traditional way of life for many years. Tourists can enjoy performances, visit ancient villages, buy hand-sewn handicrafts and experience the most unsophisticated minority culture in these scenic spots full of ethnic customs.

Ethnic Groups

Sanya is a place where more than 20 ethnic groups such as Han, Li, Miao and Hui live together. The Li ethnic group is a particular ethnic minority in Hainan, and Li people are primitive residents who came to Hainan island from the mainland more than 3,000 years ago. They are good at singing and dancing. Traditional dance include bamboo pole dance and thrash rice dance, etc. From the pre-Qin period to the western Han dynasty, Luoyue, a branch of the ancient Baiyue people, was distributed on Hainan island. According to the analysis of archaeology, linguistics, ethnology, historical geography and other disciplines, it was proved that Luoyue people are the ancestors of Li people.

Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Sanya

More Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hainan Province

History 

Because the Sanya river (named Linchuan water in the ancient time) and Sanya east and west two rivers meet here, formed a the "丫" character shape, so named "Sanya". Sanya was called Yazhou in ancient times. Although it is located in the southernmost part of China, it was enriched and influenced by the central plains culture and has a splendid culture. This area is the political, economic, cultural center of the ancient time and modern time of Yazhou, existing many cultural and historical relics. Sanya is located in the southernmost of Hainan province, is the only tropical coastal tourism city in China, with the territory, there are ten landscape resources including sunshine, sea, beach, climate, forest, animals, hot springs, caves, pastoral, customs. Sanya is the first leg of the mainland torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Local Custom and Habit

• Festivals and Activities: Sanya has rich and colorful festivals and activities, including San Yue San of Li and Miao, Hainan international coconut festival, Nanshan longevity culture festival, Tianya Haijiao international wedding festival, merry making festival of Hainan, Nanshan spring festival temple fair, etc.  
• Li Brocade: Li brocade generally includes such ethnic crafts as cross stitch, embroidery, tie-dye and batik. In the Li villages in Hainan, you can see the embroidered artworks of Li women, such as barrel skirt, blouse, head cap, cap, flower belt, loincloth, saddlebag, dragon quilt and wall hanging, etc.
• Miao Diet: Three-color rice is a featured food of the Miao ethnic group. It is made of glutinous rice. Generally, it is made by every family in Miao village during the double third day. Three-color rice was originally five-color rice, and five colors was red, yellow, blue, white and black. Now five-color rice has been changed to three-color rice, with red, yellow and black colors. Drinking is a life custom of Miao's men, every festival or entertaining guests, they will drink a lot. They generally do not urge guests to draink, but drink as much as they can. Liquor is home brewing, the Miao families all know how to brew liquor, they have their brewing tools.
• Religious Belief: There are three religious sects in Sanya, namely Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. There are nine places of religious activities approved and registered by the government, including Nanshan temple(Buddhist temple); South temple, Nankai temple, ancient temple, Beida temple, West temple and East temple(6 Islam Mosques); and Hongsha church and Haiyu Village Church(2 christian churches).
• Intangible Cultural Heritages: The intangible cultural heritage resources in Sanya are abundant and widely distributed. "Dachai dance of Li" and "the folk songs of Yacheng" was included in the national intangible cultural heritage protection project in 2006, original pottery of Li and other 7 projects was included in the provincial intangible cultural heritage protection project list respectively in 2007 and in 2009, "drill wood to make fire" and other 11 projects was included in the municipal intangible cultural heritage protection project. As of March 2012, Sanya has 1 national-level inheritor, 7 provincial-level inheritors and 24 city-level inheritors.