The Li, Hainan's native people, number about 700,000 and are famous for spinning, weaving, printing, dyeing and embroidery. Guests are encouraged to join in, and despite clumsy timing, most manage to avoid getting their ankles crushed. Otherwise, Haikou, declared a special economic zone, looks the average urban mess of ugly buildings with facades of white tile. The southern port city of Sanya numbers among China's main tourist destinations, with several large hotels and a beach promenade near town. Busloads of Chinese men in matching caps arrive constantly to snap pictures of the beautiful view and crouch in the shade of palm trees trying to avoid getting a tan.
Young girls traipse up and down the beach hawking pearls and colorful huge corals.
Seafood restaurants line the streets off the promenade, offering exotic delicacies such as sea cucumbers, long slimy gray things sold live witness the pulsating holes at each end. Even sliced and fried with garlic, they retain a rather jellylike texture. The beach gets lively at night, with quite a number of exceedingly friendly young women milling about the restaurants and hotels. Nearby boat excursions offer exploration of caves and glass bottoms for a safe glimpse of corals and tropical fish. Located off the beaten track, Yalong Bay is free of aggressive vendors and Chinese tourists gawking at the sunbathing foreigners, but restaurants and shops are in short supply.