Sanya Li and Miao Village

Introduction to Sanya Li and Miao Village (三亚黎村苗寨)

Li and Miao People's Village is located in Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County. Li tribes were originally known by the name Liliao in the Sui Dynasty. They refer to themselves as the Hlai or Sai people. They settled down in Hainan 2,000 years ago. It is said that a Li girl starts to live in her boudoir alone when she is sixteen year old. She is just waiting her true lover to come to her house. There wooden drum, bow and arrows, pestle and mortar, a bamboo basket and shoulder pole, needlework and weaving tools figure out a peaceful life that men till the land and women weave cloth. 

The highly hanging heads of ox before a house show a glory of hunter's harvest. The unique folk dancing like 'Dance of Should Pole', 'Hunting Dance', 'Dance of seizing Ghosts', 'Dance of Pest ling Rice', and acrobatic performance of climbing a hill of broadswords, playing with a fire reflect a concept of religion, culture and life in ancient time. 

Miao tribe, with people of approximately 60,000, moved to Hainan Island from Guangxi about 800 years ago. They primarily resided into the mountains near Baoting Country. For the past years, they live peacefully together with the Li people around Five Finger Mountain. They have their own spoken language. But they are different from the Miao People on the Mainland China in terms of spoken language, daily life and culture. 

San Yue San is a special occasion in April each year for the unmarried young men and women of Li and Miao communities to celebrate new life and pray for love and happiness. Today it has turned to a public ceremony for all Li and Miao, to celebrate with songs, dances and sporting activities. The villages is definitely worth a visit whilst on yourtravels to Sanya.

Location

Baoting Town, Sanya, Hainan Island (40 minutes driving from Sanya downtown)

Main Sights

Li & Miao minority culture, Li Village, Miao Village, a tropical rainforest

Travel Information

Opening Hours: all day long

Admission Fee: 50 Yuan

Visiting Time: half a day

Best Time to Visit: spring, autumn and winter, for summer is very hot and rainy in Sanya

Transportation 

Take bus 105, 17, 1, 25, 28, 40, 44, 9 in downtown and get off at City Government Station, then walk for about 350 meters.

Travel Tips 

Performances such as the bamboo dance and the show of fire and knives are well worth watching.