Tianya Haijiao
.jpg)
Located west of Sanya City in China’s Hainan Island, Tianya Haijiao is a beautiful scenic spot. Its natural beauty makes it a romantic destination and it attracts thousands of lovers for weddings. Tianya Haijiao is located on Maling Mountain, facing the sea. The area is filled with history and yet has all the modern tourist amenities one could want.
Located on the seashore is a large stone carved with four Chinese characters; Nan, Tian, Yi, Zhu, which mean ‘a pillar standing in the southern part of the sky. According to legend, in China’s ancient past, fishermen’s daily life was tortured by terrible storms. The weather made it impossible to catch any fish and they were starving. Two kind-hearted fairies took pity on the fishermen and transformed themselves into two large stones, on the beach, to shelter the fishermen, shielding them from the storms. The Mother Goddess of Heaven, finding that the maidens had left heaven, was furious and sent the thunder god to bring them back. The maidens would not leave the fishermen, so the thunder god broke them in two and one of them was thrown into the sea to separate them forever. The remaining maiden still stands on the beach to protect fishermen.
Further down the beach are two carved stones. One is carved with the characters; Tian and Ya, and the other stone with the caracters; Hai and Jiao. In the past, two young lovers eloped, even though their parents disapproved of the match. They fled to Hainan and were soon found by people sent by their parents. Facing no escape, and with the sea at their back, they jumped into the sea. The couple was turned to stone and serve as a symbol of faithful love.
