[Digging Travel] From Hot Springs to Riding Waves... Hainan Changes the Temperature of Relaxation

From Rainforest Hot Springs to Medical Wellness: Hainan's Journey of Caring for the Body

Feeding Rays and Surfing the Waves: An Immersive Encounter with the Sea

Beyond Recreation, Ecology, and Activities: Expanding Hainan’s Tourism Beyond "the Hawaii of China"

The most unforgettable water in Hainan was not the sea. At Qixianling in Baoting on the southern side of the island, I entered the tropical rainforest to find a series of large and small outdoor hot springs woven between the trees. The trees reached all the way to the water's edge, and humid air hung low above the steaming pools. Instead of heading for the ocean, as you would expect on an island, I ventured into the mountains and submerged myself in hot water. From the outset, my expectations were a little off.

At the Atlantis Sanya "Lost Chambers Aquarium," a mermaid performance is taking place. Combining a massive tank with the show, the sea itself has been transformed into an entertainment content.

We often describe Hainan by borrowing the names of other islands - "the Hawaii of China," or sometimes "the Jeju Island of China." With its blue seas, palm trees, and luxurious resorts, these analogies are not entirely misplaced. But convenient nicknames tend to erase many nuances. After spending several days in Hainan, what lingered in my memory was not just the ocean itself, but the moments in which my way of resting kept changing.

Qixianling was the first scene in this story. Baoting is an area where forests cover more than 85% of the land, embracing both tropical rainforests and natural hot springs. Even among travel itineraries recently released by the Hainan provincial government, Qixianling is classified as a key destination in central Hainan, connecting "tropical rainforest, ethnic culture, and wellness," rather than just a seaside spot. The simple existence of a rainforest at the heart of an oceanic island is already a little unexpected.

The interesting thing about Qixianling wasn’t that there was endlessly much to do. In fact, quite the opposite. You walk through the forest, move to various outdoor pools and soak, and rest again. One especially refreshing experience was sitting on a moving walkway that climbs the mountain paths winding through the rainforest – all without walking. The descent was also special: you ride a boat rapidly down a glass-made waterway. In that moment, Qixianling is remembered not as a mountain hike, but as an activity. When traveling, people usually count the number of places visited per hour, but here, the core of the trip became how long you could linger in one place. Instead of trying to see more, it was about slowing your body down. Long before the word "wellness" became trendy, this was already a tradition in relaxation.

The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone's permanent international innovation pharmaceuticals and medical devices exhibition hall. It showcases overseas innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices, providing a comprehensive view of the medical special zone's functions and achievements.

Hainan’s “body-caring journey” does not stop at the hot springs. Entering Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, the whole paradigm of relaxation changes. Approved by the Chinese government in 2013, this special medical zone grants exemptions allowing the use of certain innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices that have been authorized overseas, before they are formally approved in China. Last year, there were 865,300 visits for medical tourism purposes. In May of this year, an International Medical Tourism Service Center opened, connecting over 40 medical institutions to provide everything from consultations and referrals to recovery and cultural experiences.

For Korean biotech companies, Lecheng also serves as a testbed for entry into the Chinese market. This April, Biosolution received approval to sell the autologous cartilage cell therapy “Cartilife” in Hainan. In May, it completed its official price registration, and by July, it had harvested cartilage from its first local patient, entering commercialization. While this is not yet a full national approval across China, it is significant in that the clinical data accumulated from treating patients in Lecheng can serve as a foundation for future regulatory approval on the mainland. This is why Hainan Province even introduced a separate guideline this year for using real-world clinical data in the registration of imported pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

A traveler is experiencing the wellness program at the Boao Yiling Life Health Management Center. This place offers not only health check-ups and prevention and management but also provides relaxation and various health care services.

At the Yiling Life Health Management Center, which I visited personally, healthcare extends beyond just treating diseases. It encompasses precision screening, chronic condition management, anti-aging, psychological care, yoga, meditation, and culture and relaxation programs, all under one roof. While Qixianling was about soaking your body in hot water, in Boao, it is about measuring and managing that body. In between the hot springs and the hospital, the word "travel" finds its place.

The next water I encountered was teeming with life. Fenjiezhou Island, just over 10 minutes by boat from the main Lingshui coast, is a small islet offering scuba diving, fishing, motorboating, submarine sightseeing, and various underwater experiences. It is also classified as a 5A scenic spot, the highest rating for tourist attractions in China. However, what stayed with me longest that day was not an extravagant water sport.

In Lingsui Bunjieju Island, travelers enter the shallow sea to feed stingrays directly. It is an experience that goes one step beyond just looking at the sea, allowing visitors to interact with marine life.

I entered the shallow water and reached out with food in my hand. Large rays, called “devil rays” by locals, approached. They took the food and circled back to brush up against people again. The experience of touching and feeding sea creatures in the same water, rather than just observing them through aquarium glass, felt far more intimate than I had imagined. I suddenly understood why Fenjiezhou Island features this as one of its signature programs. Instead of just looking at the sea, it was a step into the sea itself.

At Shimei Bay in Wanning, it wasn’t just a step – I threw myself in completely, surfing for about an hour. Mimicking the instructor’s movements, I clung to the board, repeatedly rising up over the water. It was the same sea as when sitting on the beach and gazing at the horizon, but as soon as I stood atop the water, the sea was no longer just a view – it became a force.

Tourists are experiencing surfing at the artificial surfing pool of Zhonglv Zhurlang Resort in Wanning, Hainan. This place is designed to adjust the height and shape of the waves, allowing everyone from beginners to professional surfers to enjoy surfing year-round.

Wanning has grown into the epicenter of surfing in China. This year, it hosted both the National Surfing Championships and selection trials for Asian Games representatives, and has held top-tier surfing competitions for 15 years straight. At Zhongluzhulong Resort, it goes a step further – even with natural waves right next door, there is an artificial surfing pool capable of creating 23 different wave forms. Built so that surfers from beginners to professionals can ride regardless of weather or wave conditions, this facility is designed for all levels.

It’s a slightly surreal scene when you think about it. On a coast famed for perfect waves, people are making waves of their own. This paradox reveals the current direction of Hainan tourism. Having declared this year as the "Year of Marine Tourism,” Hainan officials plan to move beyond simply admiring the coastal scenery, pivoting to tourism focused on sports and hands-on experiences. Even the artificial surfing pool in Wanning is integrated with hotels and shopping streets. The goal is not only to showcase nature’s beauty, but to turn the question of “what will we do with nature?” into a marketable product.

Visitors are watching a trainer interacting with a beluga at the Sanya Atlantis Aquarium. Atlantis offers not only marine life viewing but also various interactive programs.

At Atlantis Sanya, that experiment has been pushed to the extreme. Within 540,000 square meters, there are 1,314 guest rooms, a 200,000-square-meter water park, an aquarium holding 17,500 tons of seawater, and various venues for performances, shopping, and dining. If on Fenjiezhou Island people entered the sea, here the sea itself enters the building.

Huge tanks filled with fish and rays sweep past overhead. Not long ago at Fenjiezhou, I had reached out my hand to a ray in the water, but here I gazed at it through thick glass. The same marine life—on one side an ecological encounter, on the other an enormous entertainment spectacle. Hainan, the island of nature, seemed to wear two faces as a tourist destination.

Outdoor hot springs in the Baoting Qixianling Hot Spring Area. Large and small open-air baths stretch through the tropical rainforest, presenting a different landscape of Hainan compared to beach resorts.

So I would not say the nickname "the Hawaii of China" is wrong. The ocean still remains the first and most lasting scene for any traveler to Hainan. Yet, to describe this island with the sea alone would be to miss just how much is happening here.

In the forest, I soaked in hot water. At Boao, health management became the focus of my trip. At Fenjiezhou, I fed rays. In Wanning, I stood directly atop the waves. And in Sanya, I walked through another sea, one that humans brought inside a building. To say that simply admiring the ocean is not enough in Hainan isn’t a call to see less of it. Rather, it’s an invitation to also step outside of it, to experience what lies beyond the coastline.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.