O. Hainan, Buddhist center Nanshan - “What will you ask the goddess Guanyin? Where should you definitely go in Nanshan, and what can you safely ignore? We travel independently and save! " NanShan the Center o

I can say with almost one hundred percent certainty that the first excursion that a guide will offer you in Hainan is a trip to the Nanshan Buddhism Center. People here are very proud of this complex, it has been awarded the AAAA status (by Chinese standards, the highest award is 5*), and, finally, many of the local residents are believers, which is why this place is so dear to them.

From the point of view of antiquity, to be honest, I was not very impressed with the complex. Yes, a huge territory, yes, many temple buildings, yes, the tallest statue of the goddess Guanyin, but everything there is somehow too new. There is no antiquity, history, beauty that I expected to see. But this is a very beautiful green park, built according to all the canons of Feng Shui, so it is pleasant and interesting to walk in it.

How to get there

Since Nanshan is the most famous place on the island, getting there is easy:

• Excursion buses No. 25 and 29 run especially for tourists; they travel from Yalong Bay, through the bays and Sanya. Buses run from 6.30 to 19.30. The final stop of this bus is the Buddhism Center. The fare costs from 0.67 to 2.7 euros (5-20 yuan), the price of the trip depends on the distance (from Yalongwan is more expensive, from Sanya, respectively, cheaper). From the bus terminus to Nanshan you need to walk a short distance; in which direction is immediately clear, the entire flow of tourists is moving exactly there, so it’s simply unrealistic to get lost. If you are too lazy to walk, you can use the services of taxi drivers who are “on duty” at the final stop. As soon as the bus arrives, they run up and offer their services. Taxi drivers operate according to the following scheme: for 5 yuan per person they offer to take you to the Center and buy you skip-the-line entrance tickets. The ticket price is the same for taxi drivers and at the ticket office of the center, so you have nothing to lose here.

• Taxi from or Yalongwan. Payment by meter, the average price is about 16 euros (120 +/- 20 yuan).
• And, of course, you can buy a tour. The price includes a round-trip transfer, a 3-hour guided walk, and tickets for a train that will take you around the park. Price for adults - 64.5 euros (480 yuan), for children from 1 m to 1.2 m - 32.3 euros (240 yuan), children under 1 m - free.

Travel time is about an hour from , from Yalongwan - 40 minutes. Address: Yacheng Town,Sanya,Hainan Island.

Opening hours, entrance fees

The Buddhism Center is open from 8.00 to 18.00.

Entrance ticket prices:

• adult entrance ticket costs 20.2€ (150 yuan);
• children (height from 1m to 1.2m) – 10.5 € (78 yuan);
• children under 1m – free.

Additional services:

• A ticket for a train that will take you from one stop to another is 2.7 € (20 yuan). But you can also walk.
• Audio guide – 5.4 € (40 yuan).
• Entrance to the statue of the goddess Guanyin – 11.8 € (88 yuan).
• Ticket to the temple with a golden statue – 2.7 € (20 yuan).
• For kids you can rent a stroller - 0.68 € (5 yuan), but it’s better to have your own, otherwise suddenly there will be a lot of people interested and everything will be sorted out.
• Hit the gong/bell with a “mallet” to cleanse karma and attract good luck, happiness, etc. – 1.3 € (10 yuan).
• Red ribbon to make a wish come true – 1.3€ (10 yuan).

There are free toilets in the park, which can be found by signs.

Complex infrastructure

The center of Buddhism is located in the mountains, everything is green, there is a lot of vegetation, water, and again, the sea is nearby. But the territory is simply huge, so direct sun cannot be avoided, so it is better to choose a non-hot day for a trip to Nanshan. Or go in the morning and take an umbrella to hide under it from the scorching sun.

Even before entering Nanshan, you will see dozens of shopping kiosks where you can buy everything: from souvenirs to “family” clothes (the price for 1 suit is about 40 euros).

In addition, enterprising Chinese sell incense sticks, birds, fish and even turtles! They offer to buy, say, a turtle - a symbol of longevity, release it into the lake in Nanshan, and that’s it - you are guaranteed a long life! Just don’t think that by buying an animal you are saving it from captivity - the next day the same birds or fish will be sold again to other gullible tourists.

There are several hotels in the center where you can stay. For example, Sanya Nanshan Leisure Villas 5*, cost for 1 night for two from 78 euros.

There is video surveillance throughout the complex. Everywhere is very clean, there are signs and trash cans. There is even a hospital, apparently because there are monasteries in the complex where monks live.

Each "bus" stop is under a canopy; there are benches for waiting and tables where you can have a snack. You can also buy water, juices, snacks, and souvenirs here. On average it will cost 10€: souvenirs cost 3-7€ (20-50 yuan), water/juice 3€ (20 yuan).

You can eat in the restaurant located in the center of the complex. The stop is called: a rest and lunch center. Keep in mind that the Buddhist Center only sells vegetarian food, so there is no meat here, everything is replaced with soy. For example, steamed vegetables and juice will cost 8 euros (60 yuan), a little expensive, but all the food is blessed by the monks :)

Sights of Nanshan

The Buddhism Center consists of 7 parts:

• one district (Main Gate);
• three parks (Park of Merciful Liberation, Park of Happiness and Prosperity, Park of the Goddess Guanyin Culture);
• one valley (valley of longevity);
• one temple (Nanshan Temple);
• one bay (Nanshan).

Main Gate

The entrance gate to Nanshan is called the “Heavenly Gate” or Pu Er. They depict 2 hieroglyphs “non-duality” and “unity”, that is, there is no other path other than the path to enlightenment, and it does not matter what faith you are. So this gate is a kind of “passage” to the world of Buddhism.

The same gate on the other side.

Merciful Liberation Park

A picturesque place with a lot of bridges, gazebos, ponds; there is a lake with fish and turtles, that is, everything is in the style of Feng Shui.

In the same part there is a room where a jade and gold statue of the goddess Guanyin is kept, listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

It took 140 kg of gold, a lot of silver and precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, pearls, jade, jade, etc. to make it. In addition, the statue contains a piece of Buddha's ashes, which is why it is sacred.

Previously, admission was free, but it was forbidden to take pictures of the statue with a camera. Now pay 2.7 euros (20 yuan) and take as many photographs as you want.

The “golden goddess” is surrounded by her miniature copies. Anyone can order one for 1,349 euros (9999 yuan). The name of the owner will be written on the minicopy and carefully placed in dense rows of similar figurines, because it cannot be taken home. By the way, there are Russians among the owners.

Valley of Longevity

Everyone knows that in China they treat the elderly very respectfully, and the number of centenarians per unit of population here is the highest in the world. There is a special valley in Nanshan Park where there are huge portraits of grandparents that are over a hundred years old.

Symbols of long life - turtles - are everywhere here. These four animals symbolize four generations of the family.

You can buy red ribbons and tie them to live happily ever after. Couples wishing to have a child tie their ribbons here.

Since 1999, Hainan has held an annual Longevity Festival in October. People who have turned 100 years old take part in it! The Buddhism Center organizes colorful festive events for them, giving them flowers and gifts. According to established tradition, everyone climbs Mount Nanshan. Sometimes on this day, centenarian couples act as witnesses at the weddings of newlyweds.

Park of Happiness and Prosperity

There is a “bell of pure reason” that must be struck three times for well-being and good luck. And many more bells of different ages collected from all over China.

There is a clearing with statues of 12 arhats (those who have achieved enlightenment).

Nanshan Temple

This is an entire temple complex consisting of three buildings, each of which has a through passage to the next building.

The main hall is located high in the mountains, with a long staircase leading to it. To get into it you need to go through the “triple gates”, that is, through three halls, which are separate rooms.

A high staircase leads to each room, and the hall has a high threshold so that evil spirits cannot enter it. (pictured “first gate”).

There are two Buddhist guards standing here: Generals Hen (with his mouth closed) and Ha (with his mouth open).

Buddha statue in the center of the hall.

The same Buddha, but in a different guise, more familiar to us (Buddha of Wealth).

These “gates” have a through portal, therefore, passing through them, we again find ourselves on the street and in front of us are new steps leading up to the next building.

The “Second Gate” is the hall of the heavenly ruler - the Buddha of the future, who will descend to Earth many years later, and all the believers will already be there. Harmony and peace will reign, everyone will live in peace and harmony.

The Future Buddha is surrounded by four heavenly kings, each of whom is responsible for his own region: North, South, West and East.

We pass through the “second gate”, again find ourselves on the street and again go up the steps to the “main hall” (“third gate”).

It contains three Buddha statues.

The Buddha in the center represents the real, today's world. The one on the left is asked for protection from disasters and diseases. And they pray to Buddha on the right for the dead.

Along the perimeter of the hall there are statues of Arkhapas - disciples of the Buddha who achieved Enlightenment.

Guanyin Cultural Park

The most popular and impressive place in the entire Buddhist Center is, of course, Guanyin Park. There is a Square of Light here,

beautiful stairs,

“houses” where they sell wishing ribbons, incense, and “mallets” for beating the drum.

And finally, you will see the largest statue of the goddess Guanyin. It is believed that she constantly wants to be at sea, so a 108-meter statue of the three-faced goddess was erected in the sea on an artificial island.

The goddess Guanyin is highly revered by the common people. This is the embodiment of everything feminine, a protector from misfortunes and troubles, asking the Gods for the well-being of people. It symbolizes the intelligence, mercy and peace of the peoples of the East.

Guanyin has three faces: one faces the people (inside the island), and the other two look out to sea, protecting people from bad weather and storms.

Places where wishes come true

The Center of Buddhism is a very powerful place in terms of energy, because everyone who comes here is sure to make a wish, hoping for its fulfillment. Therefore, the park even has special places where you can ask for your dreams to come true. There are at least three such places.

Firstly, at the entrance to the park there is a large gong that you need to hit three times. Hit hard, then the sound of the blow will be loud and the wish will come true faster.

Secondly, there is a huge stone that is shaped like an ear. If you whisper a wish into it (in your ear), it will definitely come true.

Next to the stone there are mantra drums, which you need to spin after making a wish. One circle of the drum, like many mantras read, will help you get rid of diseases, evil spirits, and improve your life.

Thirdly, the most famous and popular place is near the statue of the goddess Guanyin. There is even a special circle, in the center of which you need to stand and ask the great goddess to fulfill your cherished dream.

You can also buy a goldfish at the entrance for 2.7 euros (20 yuan) and release it into the pond so that it will fulfill your wish. What if it really works?!

• The area is very large, and the sun beats down mercilessly, so be sure to take sunscreen, hats, and plenty of water with you.
• It is better to go to Nanshan in the morning, while it is still cool.
• If you are traveling with a child, be sure to buy tickets for the train; it is simply unrealistic to get around the park on foot with children.
• A guided tour usually lasts 3 hours, which is not enough time to explore the entire complex. I would advise coming here on your own, taking an audio guide and walking around calmly. This way you will have time to look at everything, relax in a cafe, and admire the picturesque views.
• In temples, do not turn your back on the shrines.
• In some rooms it is customary to take off your shoes before going inside.
• The Center of Buddhism is a beautiful picturesque place, but here I felt not like in temples, but like on the rides in the park: if you want to knock on a gong, pay, look at a statue, pay, tie a ribbon, pay; “buy a fish”, “buy some incense”, “donate for the construction of a new monastery”, etc. They even manage to sell a piece of tile here! You pay for it, write a wish on it, and then these tiles will be used to build a temple and then your wish will come true.
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Asia's largest Buddhist Center "Nanshan" is located in the "Nanshan International Tourism Zone" on Hainan Island, located 40 km away. west of Sanya near Mount Nanshan (South Mountain). The area of ​​the park is -50 sq. km. The park was opened in 1999 and is a whole temple complex with magnificent landscapes. An ancient Buddhist temple was restored here and a huge landscape park was laid out. In 2005, on a man-made island connected to the shore by a thin isthmus, the construction of the temple of the Goddess of Mercy - Guanyin was completed; a colossal bronze statue of the Goddess rises above the temple. The height of the statue is 108 meters, which surpasses the famous New York Statue of Liberty.

The world's largest golden statue of the goddess Guanyin, weighing 140 kg, is carefully kept in a separate pavilion in the park. It is decorated with precious stones and stands on a pedestal in the shape of a lotus flower, made of white precious jade. This statue is not only included in the Guinness Book of Records, but at the same time it is the greatest Buddhist shrine - it contains particles of the ashes of Buddha Shakya Muni, the founder of Buddhism, who lived 2.5 thousand years ago. Nanshan is the highest standard of Feng Shui - a philosophical concept that is so fashionable in the world and known in China for more than 3,000 years. This is the highest harmony of Man and Nature, Man and Society. The Nanshan Buddhist complex includes a Temple with a golden statue of the goddess Guanyin, included in the Guinness Book of Records, an alley of longevity, a meditation park, a bell “Purification of Consciousness”, “Vessel of Purity” and many other sacred places for Buddhists.

Nianshan Center is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and beautiful attractions on the entire Hainan Island. The Buddhist Center is a huge park with many Buddhist objects on display. The entire territory of the park fully complies with the theory of Feng Shui. Among the local population, it is considered the pinnacle of national park art.

In Nianshan Park you can get acquainted with several rarities of Buddhism. The first is a statue of the goddess Guan Yin, whose height is as much as 108 meters, which is higher than the famous American Statue of Liberty. The Guan Yin statue can be clearly seen even from an airplane when it lands at Sanya Airport. A long beautiful path leads to it. Approaching her, believers stop and begin to pray. For their convenience, special pads have been prepared here. The statue of Guan Yin has many faces - it has 3 faces in total. Guan Yin looks at visitors holding a book in his hands, the second face is with a rosary, the third is with a lotus flower. The number of elements in the rosary is 108. Let us recall that the height of the statue itself is exactly 108 meters. In Feng Shui theory, 108 is considered a sacred number, so all Chinese believers consider such a coincidence of meanings extremely favorable.

The second attraction that you can see in the park is the 140-kilogram Buddha statue, made of pure gold and decorated with precious stones. Ordinary tourists will be clearly disappointed that it is strictly forbidden to photograph this statue. But the outside of the Golden Buddha Temple is also very beautiful. It is very bright and made in colorful yellow tones.

Around the temple there are copper rotating drums (most likely, there are also 108 of them) on which Buddhist texts - koans - are written. According to local culture, before entering the temple of the golden Buddha, one must walk around it and spin each drum, thereby becoming familiar with the sacred scripture.

All the temples in Nanshan Buddhist Park have a natural, pleasant brightness. The exterior design is dominated by red and yellow tones, while the interior design contains all the colors of the rainbow. Seeing this natural riot of colors, I want to sincerely rejoice along with the believers. Inside the temple, incense is always smoking, candles are burning, and unique relaxing music is playing.

In addition to the temples and the statue of Guan Yin, the Nian Shan cultural center contains other interesting attractions. For example, the Alley of Centenarians, which displays photographs of Hainan's centenarians. The trail of centenarians is also located here. Also worthy of tourists' attention are beautiful gazebos, small ponds, bridges, stones with red hieroglyphs and red ribbons hanging on trees - wishes.

You should start getting acquainted with the sights of the city of Sanya with an excursion to this park; here you will take a huge number of interesting photographs and get a lot of positive emotions from what you see.

Not far from the city of Sanya there is the Nanshan tourism zone, on the territory of which monuments of Buddhist culture are collected. Among them is one of the tallest statues in the world, a sculpture of the goddess Guanyin.

The majestic statue of the goddess is located on an artificially created island, where a beautifully designed road leads. Tourists from all over the world come to see the three-faced deity. One face of Guanyin looks at us, holding a book in his hands, the second face is a rosary, the third is a lotus flower.

The height of the statue is 108 meters, the number of beads in the rosary is also 108 - according to Feng Shui this is a sacred number, it is considered very favorable by the Chinese. Even the number of monks present at the opening of the monument in 2005 was 108.

The statue of the goddess Guanyin is the personification of peace, wisdom and mercy. No wonder her name means “looking at the suffering of the world.” People come to her, as a rule, to pray for children. There is a special place in front of the statue where you can place three incense sticks (similar to Orthodox candles) and ask the goddess to fulfill your wishes.

Statue of Guanyin, Hainan

The majestic golden statue of Guanyin is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest golden statue in Asia. The statue itself is made of 140 kg of pure gold, decorated with more than 400 carats of precious stones. She is 3.8 meters tall, stands on a jade stand in the shape of a lotus flower, the statue fascinates with its grace, elegance and fine jewelry work.

Buddha statue

The Nanshansi complex consists of three temples located at different heights, and a high staircase leads to each of them. Moreover, to each subsequent temple the stairs are higher and higher. The first temple houses a statue of a laughing Buddha.

No matter how they call Nanshan - “temple complex”, “centre of Buddhism”, “Nanshan Temple”, the name does not change the essence of the place. Nanshan is the largest attraction for Buddhist adherents, built on the site of an ancient Buddhist temple. Nanshan annually attracts about 4 million visitors a year, and the statue of the goddess Guanyin is rightfully considered the symbol of Hainan Island.

The operators' prices for excursions are simply indecent, so we are not considering the option of going with an excursion. And besides, in addition to the crowd of Chinese tourists, you will also be surrounded by a crowd of your compatriots, such a pleasure, as for me.

How to get to Nanshan on your own?

1. Taxi. The park is located 40 km from the center of Sanya, according to rough estimates 50-70 yuan from Sanya Bay and Dadonghai. From Yalong Bay it is more expensive.
2. Bus number 25, 55. I can’t tell you exactly route 55, for some reason they didn’t want to let us on it, apparently it was full. And 25 goes through the center of Sanya, Dadonghai and goes to Yalong Bay. The price varies depending on the landing location. From the center of Dadonghai (stop near the Sanya Hawaii Hotel) – ¥10/person. Buses No. 25 are surprisingly full, there are a lot of Russians, but the air conditioning works properly.

Who can enter the park for free?

Children, of course, children. The Chinese love children, if your child is lower than 1.20, he will get in for free. The age of the child is not important.

The official website has information about pensioners over 70 years old, but only with an ID. I don’t think the Chinese accept our pension cards, but you can always check with the guides or tour operator for information.

For others, the ticket costs ¥145.

If you want to ride around the temple complex on a train, you need to pay another ¥30. The number of trips is not limited, tickets are checked every other time. The territory of the temple is huge, it’s quite difficult to get around on your own, I advise you to buy tickets and take a ride.

The main gate of Nanshan. MCH was delighted with them, but the crowd of Chinese was already frightening me.

The Chinese are not stupid guys and they know that they need to hide their wild heads from the scorching sun. Sunglasses, by the way, are also required.

A man-made peacock greets you outside the gate. A little further and to the left of it are the ticket offices where you can buy tickets for the train.

The locomotive is moving very slowly. Having arrived from the entrance to the square in front of the passage to Guanyin, we were asked to leave. Okay, it was still first on the list of places to visit.

There are several main attractions in Nanshan. The first and most impressive is the statue of the goddess Guanyin.

Three-faced Guanyin holds a book, a rosary and a lotus flower in her hands. She protects the island and patronizes women and motherhood.

The height of the statue is 80 meters, and together with the pedestal - 108. This is the fourth tallest statue in the world, it is taller than the Rodin sculptures in Volgograd and Kyiv, and surpasses the Statue of Liberty and a number of other sculptures, including those representing sacred Buddhists.

In front of Guanyin there is an incredibly heavy bell, making a wish that needs to be knocked on, it is simply unrealistic to ring it.

A long bridge leads from the site to the statue; to get on it, you need to go down to the lower tier and walk through an underground passage, which, by the way, is quite dark and miserable, somewhat reminiscent of our underground passages in the subway. And now you are on the bridge.

In certain places there are signs that it is forbidden to film, but on the bridge they film absolutely everything and with any equipment.

Inside the pedestal of the three-faced Guanyin is a temple, with a large golden statue of Guanyin inside. There is a line in front of the temple; people are allowed in in small groups. There are many identical halls, with small copies of Guanyin, there are pillows where Chinese believers go down to pray. In the center there is a fenced area where you cannot approach. You can’t take pictures, they asked you to put the camera away with signs, and you only took one photo on your phone on the sly from the balcony on the second floor.

By the way, to get there by elevator, there is a long queue. And you can climb the steps, which are not immediately noticeable, quite calmly. Apparently the elevator is sacred. After the elevator there are several more halls and stairs, stairs, stairs. Some are quite steep, I’m not sure that older people will be able to climb there, but we young people overcame the climb and here we are at the top!

And at the top is the most important thing, the observation deck at the foot of the Guanyin statue

Here again you can get photographic equipment, there are no prohibition signs, the Chinese take pictures, which means we can too.

There are crowds of Chinese, but there is a nice refreshing breeze and a magnificent view of the sea and the island.

The statue is of course huge, Chinese believers fall at its feet and ask for something, pray. We are not religious people, a significant part of the Chinese apparently are too, so some prayed, some took photographs.

Somewhere I came across information that the statue was made of stone, nothing like that. It is iron and feels hollow inside, with ugly red streaks. Of course, the tropics, humid climate, but they could have tinted it and treated it with something; against the backdrop of the snow-white statue it is very striking.

Some of the symbols in the park are completely incomprehensible to a person who is far from Buddhism and does not speak Chinese.

As for food, there are several cafes on the territory, and from time to time there are points with ice cream, water and coconuts.

Despite the fact that there is a map on the back of the tickets, we found it difficult to navigate, to be honest. While we were looking for the temple where the statue of Guanyin made of pure gold is located, we managed to drive around a good half of the park.

When we liked the stops, we got out and looked at what was available at the station; when we got tired, we sat down and rolled on.

This is the passage to Nanshan Temple.

Go through this gate and you will find yourself in a courtyard with stairs to the main temple.

You can walk towards the sea, stroll along the shore and admire Guanyin from afar.

In the main hall of Nanshan Temple there are three Buddha statues, each of them symbolizing something different. The statues, to be honest, did not make any impression, like scary big golden dolls.

In the backyard of the temple there are golden drums that need to be spun in a certain direction to make wishes come true.

There is also a large container for incense, this is an analogue of candles in Christianity, they are located throughout the park, the Chinese make wishes and set fire to these sticks, as far as I understand, they are sold somewhere there.

There are funny stone guys sitting right there, they probably symbolize something extremely important. And we hit the road again.

This time they guessed right and went out near the temple with the golden Guanyin.

Entrance fee is ¥20, tickets can be purchased at the box office next to the temple, like everywhere else, we calmly explained it on our fingers.

Inside is a small hall, all the walls are lined with small copies of Guanyin, each in its own cell with the name of its owner. It is strictly forbidden to take pictures inside.

The statue of Guanyin is made of pure gold, about 120 kg, and decorated with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and other jewelry. About 4 meters high

. The approximate cost of the statue is 192 million ¥, inside there is part of the ashes of Buddha, which is why the statue is priceless for believers, maybe that’s why the statue sits behind glass, as if in an aquarium, and we were not allowed to see it. Although some Chinese came in.

If you want my opinion, you can safely skip this temple, in fact it’s just a beautiful hall, no worse than the one in the temple under the 108-meter Guanyin, and the golden statue doesn’t look incredible because of the glass.

There is a lake around the temple; there are not as many tourists here as in the rest of the park, so you can relax sitting on a bench and admire the view.

The lake is teeming with plump orange and black fish. Pigeons graze in flocks.

We crossed the bridge to the other side of the lake.

Walking further, we went to several more temples - the Guanyin Hall with 33 goddesses of Buddhism. You are also not allowed to take photographs, but you can leave your autograph on a special stretched poster.
The Dragon Temple, built in honor of the son of the Dragon King. To be honest, it reminded me of a souvenir shop.
And where would we be without the Valley of Longevity?

Hainan is generally famous for its long-livers. The average life expectancy on the island is 80 years; according to various estimates, about 2,000 people live on the island, over 100 years old, and about 200,000 people over 80 years old. Amazing island!

And our journey through Nanshan ends, tired and happy on the train we return back.

As for the cost, a trip for two (!) cost us 410, ¥ this is the entire amount for the trip, except for the purchase of ice cream and water: travel, entrance to Nanshan, train ticket, entrance to the temple to the Golden Guanyin. At the September 2017 exchange rate, this is approximately $62, our operator, RusTur, offered the same excursion for $58/person. i.e. almost twice as expensive.
We didn’t experience any difficulties with organizing the trip; we found all the information online in advance, screen-printed something on our phone, checked with the hotel guide on how to get there, just in case, and off we went.

What advice can I give?

1. Go early in the morning! Full day trip to Nanshan. From the center of Sanya to Nanshan it takes about 1.5 hours by bus. And the park closes around 5 pm. You will have approximately 5.5 hours, and this is not enough to get around absolutely the entire park.
2. Hats, sunglasses and comfortable shoes. There is a lot of walking, an open-air park, there are practically no trees to hide you from the sun.
3. Apply sunscreen.
4. Stock up on water, there are not sales points at every step.
5. Don’t skimp on the train, otherwise you’ll get tired and won’t have time to walk around the entire park.
6. The temple with the gold statue of Guanyin can be missed by those who do not profess Buddhism and do not know Chinese.

To summarize, I can say that we liked the Nanshan temple complex, but without enthusiasm. The 108-meter statue - yes, it’s just a delight, but everything else... I wasn’t inspired, everything was shiny, golden, made quite recently - I immediately thought of something fake. The whole park as a whole is a remake, if you want to breathe in a little history, this is not the place for you. If you are just a tourist, then you must visit the hallmark of the island!

More reviews about traveling to the island. Hainan here:

The statue of the goddess Guanyin has sacred significance for Buddhists from all over the world. The height of the deity, erected from copper and white stone, is 108 meters, making the statue ranked first among other Guanyin sculptures. In Buddhist mythology, this goddess plays a significant role, being the personification of wisdom, fertility, protection of the feminine and harmony.

The project to build the statue was started in 1999 on the territory of an artificial island located on the island of Hainan (Sanya). In 2005, exactly 108 representatives of Buddhism from Macau, Tibet, Hong Kong and other regions of China came to the opening of the sculpture. According to Tibetan mythology and feng shui traditions, the number 108 is considered the luckiest number and brings people great luck. That is why the number of invited monks was predetermined.

Externally, the statue amazes with its grandeur and grandeur. If you look at the sculpture from different angles, you can see three faces of the goddess Guanying, each of which contains information valuable to Buddhists. The first figure of the deity faces Hainan Island. At the same time, Guanyin has a book in one hand, and with the other hand the goddess shows a mudra gesture. The second part of the statue is different in that Guanyin holds a rosary in his hands, the number of beads in which coincides with the iconic number 108. In the third version of the sculpture, the goddess’s hands are calmly folded in the lotus position.

Numerous pilgrims, local residents, as well as ordinary tourists flock to this amazing statue every day. At the base of the lower pedestal there is a special platform so that anyone can place several incense sticks and ask the goddess for the most secret things.