End of the World

End of the World (Tian Ya Hai Jiao)

Chinese name: 天涯海角 (Tian Ya Hai Jiao).
Location: at the foot Maling Mountain, Tianya Town, about 25 km west of downtown Sanya, Hainan Province.
Ticket: CNY95.
Opening time: 07:30-18:30.
Recommended time for a visit: 2-3 hours.
Travel tips: It is about 2.5 km from the gate of the scenic area to the Nan Tian Yi Zhu huge rock; mini battery tourist buses are available (CNY15/round-trip).
How to get there:
- take bus No.2 or 4 and debus at the terminus, then transfer by Taihe tourist bus (泰和旅游专线巴士, CNY5 / person);
- take any buses to "天涯 (Tianya)" or "南山 (Nanshan)" at downtown Sanya and get off at the tourist area of Tian Ya Hai Jiao (天涯海角风景区), CNY4 / perdon;
- by taxi from downtown Sanya (CNY25-30).

Introduction to Tian Ya Hai Jiao

Tian Yai Hai Jiao, literally "end of the world/earth" in Chinese, is a world famous seaside scenic area of Sanya, the southmost city of China. Strictly speaking in geography, the Chinese name of this scenic area runs counter to the fact, however, its artistic conception, which comes from a loyal and steadfast love legend in the ancient times, brings huge fame to it. The story goes it that a couple deep in love was forced to broke up and run away from their home because of family feud. Chased after their families, they escaped to this place; however, their love was not still forgiven and they had no choice but jumped into the sea with the wish of staying in the sea together forever. Touched by their love, later generations decided to commemorate them by carving "天涯 (Tian Ya)" and "海角 (Hai Jiao)" on the two huge rocks the couple turned to be, signifying their love will never die even in the end of the world. Nowadays, the site has been seen as a sign of romance and become a must-visit for travelers especially couples.

History of Tian Ya Hai Jiao

More than one thousand kilometers from the national political and economic center in ancient China, Hainan was a remote island few people trod at that time due to the inconvenient traffic. For a long term it was seen as a jail where rebellious officials were exiled.

Historical records show that the Chinese characters "天涯" carved on the 10-meter-high huge rock was the handwriting of Cheng Zhe, chief executive of the town in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911); on the lower part of the rock are three poems by Guo Moruo (1892-1978).

At the right side of the rock "天涯" is another sharp rock, on the top of which are the  characters "海角" that is said to be written by some scholar of Qing Dynasty. At the right side of the rock is the cone rock "南天一柱 (Nan Tian Yi Zhu, a pillar of the South)".

Tian Ya Hai Jiao nowadays

In addition to the amazing seaside landscapes, Tian Ya Ha Jiao is also famous for the inscriptions on precipices, the folk custom garden of Li ethnic minority, the sculpture garden of historic celebrities, the Baliningxia Scenic Area, the Haitian Natural Scenic Area, the Tianya Road, etc. Travelers visiting the area can also enjoy a sunlight bath on the beach, have fun at sea by motorboat or put a close eye on the Tropical Ocean Zoo nearby.