Haikou & Sanya, which is with the best lifestyle?

Haikou is located in the north of Hainan Island, and Sanya is in the south of Hainan Island.

Haikou is one of the earliest settlements for mainland residents to move to Hainan Island. Due to the higher latitude and openness to the north, cold air can invade in winter, the temperature is slightly lower than that of Sanya, and the four seasons are more distinct. The deep and reserved Haikou not only has the halo of the provincial capital, but also gathers a quarter of the resident population of Hainan Province, and also collects the special flavors of various counties and cities. Food is the most direct and simple embodiment of her history, geography, folk culture and many other aspects.

Sanya is warmly publicized, and its fame seems to be greater than that of Haikou. There is no frost all year round, the fragrance of flowers and tropical fruits wafts in the four seasons, the pleasant climate and the dazzling tropical scenery are destined to make it a tourist destination that everyone yearns for. Sea sports, music parties, gatherings for picnics, and even going out to sea to watch “fluorescent waves”… The city has even become synonymous with a way of life – more and more people from the mainland have become islanders and feel at ease enjoy the present moment.

Haikou

Whether food or life

Freedom is attitude

Haikou people are well versed in the principle of contentment and happiness. It seems that they have entered a state of “retirement” from birth. Rather than toiling around in the scorching sun, it is better to put on flip-flops, ride an electric car, and blow the sea breeze freely. Eat papa tea.

Hainan Rice Noodles

Hainan noodles are not the general term for Hainan noodles, but the originator of Hainan rice noodles. The rice noodle type of Hainan noodles is comparable to the angel hair noodles in pasta, the capillary in Lanzhou beef noodles, and the dragon whisker noodles in dried noodles. It is made of pure rice milk after multiple fermentation and washing. Pickled powder is naturally known for its “pickling” skills. There are as many as ten kinds of secret seasonings, which are often made in-house by each store and are never passed on. Therefore, under the careful smell of rice noodles, there will be a faint aroma of meat and medicinal herbs. The marinated rice noodles are already tasty enough, but topped with shredded beef jerky, pork shreds, fried squid shreds, bean sprouts and sesame seeds to create a more layered texture. If you like spicy, you can also pour a little yellow lantern chili sauce, but remember – the pickled powder must be stirred evenly immediately after serving, so that the powder, side dishes and marinade can fully collide and blend, and eat it within 10 minutes. the greatest respect. The advanced way of eating is when there is only a small amount of rice noodles left in the bowl, pour some conch soup into it, which is another special deliciousness.

△ Danzhou rice noodles

How high is the status of Hainan noodles in Haikou? Haikou people’s day starts with eating Hainanese noodles, and it is a tradition for everyone to eat Hainanese noodles together on weddings, funerals, holidays and family gatherings. Go to Haikou Old Street, Ximen Market, any roadside shop or night market food stalls can eat very authentic Hainan noodles. But you can hardly see the scene of queuing for 2 hours just to check in a store. Haikou people do love to eat noodles, but they will never disrupt their leisurely pace of life for the sake of eating noodles. Whether it’s food or life, following what you want is their consistent attitude.

Laobacha

The habit of Haikou people drinking tea came from Nanyang. It was originally called “Western tea”. Some Hainan overseas Chinese who went to Nanyang brought the Western tea drinking methods and habits back to Hainan Island from Southeast Asia. In the late Qing Dynasty, this kind of western style tea shop appeared in Haikou, and then spread all over Hainan Island. According to the folklore of Hainan Island, “there are at least three or more tea shops in a town. On the market day, the teahouse is always full of people. There is no space on the ground. There is a bustle of people. There are sometimes tea, Longjing chrysanthemum… And there are western tea, such as coffee, milk, black tea, Kuogu… And there are big bags, small bags, egg granules… And so on.” At that time, those who went to the teahouse were all rich people or old “dads” who had a lot of leisure time to spend. Nowadays, tea drinking is no longer the patent of a few people, but has become a unique representative of folk culture in Haikou and even Hainan Province.

△Egg-Yolk Puff

From 8:00 am to 10:00 am, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm is the time to drink papa tea. The most down-to-earth teahouses are often opened in the corner of the bustling market. Several blue and pink plastic tables and chairs are placed from the inside to the outside of the house. The tea can be refilled for free. Pineapple buns, croissants, large buns, etc., you can also choose freshly made snacks, Hainan noodles, old salt beverages, Qingbuliang, Yantan… There are both sweet and salty. For most of the day, people drank the tea in one gulp.

In Laobacha tea house, it’s okay to focus on eating, talk about the world, discuss the current situation, and household affairs. In “Our Three or Six Alleys”, Hainan local writer Cuizai said bluntly through the mouth of the characters: “We Haikou people can’t bear to be frugal. When gold nuggets fall from the sky, they will fall in the teahouse. My cubs guard I can’t get out of the tea house!” This habit of being obsessed with Dad’s tea is the expression of the relaxed and uncontested mentality of the people living in Haikou, the blessed land. 

A paradise for meat eaters

△ mutton casserole

In Hainan, the most famous are Wanning East Goat and Shishan Milk Goat, one south and one north, are well-known both inside and outside the island. Mr. Liang Yusheng, a martial arts novelist, spoke for it: “The wonders of chaos are in the beginning, ancient magma was injected into Tianhu Lake, and there are more delicacies and delicacies, Dong goat and Shishan milk sheep.” Haikou people use the method of “captive breeding” in the limestone mountains Raising goats. The stone goat that grew up eating weeds and grains next to the volcanic rock is neither stinky nor fishy, ​​it can be braised and dry, it can be boiled and stewed.

Near the river and sea, the fish and shrimp are fresh and tasty; by the mountains and forests, the birds and beasts are prosperous. As early as the Ming Dynasty, Hainan began to breed saltwater ducks. The Jiaji Duck in Qionghai City is famous, but Haikou people love to play Feng Saltwater Duck. The salted duck has a unique flavor, the skin is old and chewy, and the meat is tender and smooth. As for their favorite spicy soup with sauerkraut and pork, the spicy soup lives up to its name. The white pepper, which is native to the province, is responsible for the spiciness. It works in synergy with the pepper, and it is guaranteed to make you sweat profusely. The soup is also full of white cut pork offal and sauerkraut from Chengmai Damao. Order a standard set meal at a soup restaurant in the area of Shuixiangkou in Haikou: a bowl of sauerkraut and pork offal soup, a bowl of rice, a Chinese sausage and a fried egg for only 15 yuan. It is said that this kind of soup and rice was originally a late-night snack for dock workers when Haikou opened its port. At night, when the weather is cold, a bowl of spicy pork belly soup with pepper is needed to replenish physical strength and resist the cold. Slowly, it has evolved into local specialties.

△ Roast suckling pig and other delicacies

Hainanese beef brisket rice is one of the earliest set menus that appeared in Hainan. In the streets and alleys with high traffic in Haikou, signs such as “beef brisket rice” and “pig feet rice” can be seen every ten meters. But they don’t only sell beef brisket and pig’s feet, but on this basis, they also sell pork offal, beef offal, pork belly, taro stems, sour bamboo shoots, watermelon rind and other Haikou home-cooked dishes. There are usually two large pots at the front of the shop, one for the beef brisket and the other for the pig’s feet. The fire was burning warmly under the pot, pouring bursts of sultry aroma into the air. A meal is rich and frugal, what can you eat for twenty or thirty yuan? A plate of beef brisket, a bowl of lard rice, sea-white taro stems, fried watermelon rind with sauce and other side dishes, one plate of each.

Sanya

Between mountains and seas

Find another lifestyle

Sanya is located at the southernmost tip of Hainan Island, with mountain forests in the north and blue seawater in the south. As soon as I set foot on this land, I saw those tall and graceful coconut trees and the fine white sand beach with jade and silver dust from a distance. It made me want to immediately take off my shoes and lie down heavily in the shade of the trees, leaving the world for the time being.

Houhai village life far away from the city

Houhai village is near the dock from Sanya ferry to Wuzhizhou island. It takes only 15 minutes for the village to walk from east to west and from south to north. According to local media reports, Houhai village has only about 3000 permanent residents, but nearly 40% of the surfing clubs in the country are stationed. The semicircular Bay enables waves to be pushed to the shore in an all-round and multi angle way, and presents waves of different sizes and difficulties in different places. Therefore, no matter what level of surfer you are, you can find waves that are suitable for you here.

Earlier, the article “visiting Sanya Houhai Village: hot girls gather to dance and feel that urban life is rotten”, which made Houhai village popular among young people, once wrote that in the development process of Houhai village, the arrival of two types of people is very important: the old Houhai people and the new Houhai people. The old Houhai people are the first batch of “ronins” who came to Houhai village to surf, such as retired professional surfers, who directly contributed to the formation of local surfing culture. The “new Houhai people” mainly fall into three categories: first, they come from big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, mostly freelancers or businessmen, and they are the main operators of local clubs, bars and restaurants; The other is the handicraftsmen and artists from Dali who brought Hippie elements to Houhai; The other is from Inner Mongolia and Tibet. Most of them are wandering singers and DJs. They are the leaders of Houhai village electronic music parties. Houhai village rose due to surfing, and then formed an atmosphere of acquaintance community. The “old Houhai people” and “new Houhai people” are looking for their own “Utopia” here.

In the documentary “go to Houhai village to provide for the aged”, the production team filmed the Houhai story of an “old pancake cannon”. Feng Ge, in his forties, is a representative of the middle-aged “Prodigal Son” in Houhai village. In the first half of his life, he was a member of the Beipiao army. From his teenage years, he went out to work as a dishwasher and cook to opening his own restaurant. He made millions a year. But when he was middle-aged, his career was in crisis and his life was exhausted. So after a casual trip to Sanya, he simply closed down the hotel in Beijing and moved to Houhai village to live in a different way – pushing a pancake cart and finding another job in Houhai village. For him, this choice is the most satisfactory decision made by a middle-aged man. He said: “when I was young, I used my life to earn money. Now I am here to find my youth and passion.”

In recent years, the influx of tourists has turned Houhai from a quiet Xanadu into an over developed tourist attraction. However, some people still cling to the gradually commercialized Houhai and freely enjoy the present in a seemingly “extraordinary” way. Others pack their bags and look for or go to the next “Houhai”.

Next “Houhai”

In the past media publicity, Houhai village’s cultural activities were once roughly summarized as “surfing during the day and jumping at night”. Behind the way of life, such as clocking in early, drinking beer and jumping “Yedi” and “citylifesucks”, we can still see the ideal life that people who immigrate to Sanya want – to get rid of the shackles of established rules, break away from urban life, embrace the sea, and become friends with strangers from all over the world.

Can such a life be realized without Houhai? Having a PADI diving license is like opening a pass to explore 70% of the earth’s mysterious waters. People with the same hobbies gather together, experience the same journey when diving, and share their own stories when not diving. It’s perfect to think about it. Wuzhizhou Island, the “undersea garden”, is less than 10 minutes’ drive from Houhai village. The surrounding waters are clear and transparent. The sea visibility is up to 27 meters. There are well protected coral communities on the seabed. There is also a diving center with complete supporting facilities on the island. It is an excellent choice for obtaining the primary diving certificate ow and AOW.

When the head pokes into the sea, it is another brand-new world. Corals, mackerels, giant groupers, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, prawns, noctilucent snails in different shapes, and colorful tropical fish that may surround you like tornadoes, will surely make you feel the magic and vastness of the blue world. Inhaling and exhaling calmly in the gentle world under the sea, life also slows down between exhaling and inhaling, and all of them blend into this dark blue. As Chenglei, a diving enthusiast, said, “you are closer to the earth, but you can leave the world behind; you have become an outsider of the world and time, but a participant in heaven, earth and the universe.”

People like to travel, in part because “going”. The process of going from a certain place to a certain place is more important than reaching the destination. Compared with traveling by plane, train, car and other means, bicycle travel can make people more truly enjoy the scenery, more carefully experience the cultural customs, and maximize or extend the “on the road” state.

In Sanya, a typical riding may be as follows: on a clear and sunny morning, after breakfast, put on your helmet, riding glasses, close fitting riding clothes, and riding gloves, then push out your bike, fill it with a large pot of water, and send it to your destination. Walk along the winding riding greenway and enjoy the cool salty sea breeze passing through your skin, ranging from oneortwo hours to half a day. An atypical ride should forget the time. Fortunately, you can enjoy the leisure and laziness of the island in the process. I met a group of friends and found Xiaozhong Bay on the seashore path. I camped at the seashore where there are few people and unique scenery, played paddles, made delicious food, watched open-air movies, and held a bonfire party… It was nice to enjoy the rising of the sun and the falling of the moon, listen to the sound of waves and dream.