Tianya Haijiao

For most of imperial history Hainan was the end of the empire, the place officials were banished to, and the phrase tianya haijiao, the edge of the sky and the corner of the sea, came to mean the furthest point a person could be sent. Two large granite boulders on this beach carry the characters, carved in the Qing, and they became one of the most photographed spots in China, printed on stamps and banknotes, and now visited as much by couples for the romance the phrase acquired as by anyone thinking about exile. The beach is a scatter of rounded boulders under coconut palms with the sea beyond.

What you actually see

• The carved boulders - the Qing inscriptions on granite by the water.
• The boulder beach - rounded rocks and palms along the shore.
• The exile history - the meaning of the phrase in imperial times.
• The photo ritual - couples queueing for the same shot.

When to go

November to April for the dry season; summer is hot with typhoon risk. Early morning avoids both crowds and the worst heat, and gives better light on the stones.

Honest expectations

It is essentially two inscribed rocks with long queues to photograph them, and many visitors find the entry price hard to justify. The park is commercialised with shuttle carts and stalls.

Nearby

Nanshan Temple lies west; Sanya is east.