Why "the edge of the world" is China's great romantic landmark
Picture this: you are standing on a stretch of sand-and-rock beach on Sanya's west coast, a stiff sea breeze blowing, and in front of you two enormous boulders lean together, each carved with huge red Chinese characters — one reads 天涯 (Tianya, the edge of the sky), the other 海角 (Haijiao, the corner of the sea). Millions of Chinese couples travel here to be photographed together at exactly this spot, because the name "edge of the sky, corner of the sea" stands for a vow to stay together to the ends of the earth.
This is Tianya Haijiao (天涯海角), the "Edge of the World" — a seaside scenic park on the south-western shore of Sanya, about 24 km from the city centre. In the Qing dynasty this was considered the far edge of the empire, the furthest point Chinese territory reached, and officials banished to Hainan would stand here gazing at the sea with the feeling that they had run out of land. The characters were carved into the rocks back then, and the legend has carried on ever since.
What makes the place special is that it is far more than pretty rocks by the sea — it is a national cultural icon. The sea pillar called 南天一柱 (the Pillar of the Southern Sky), rising straight out of the water, once featured on China's old ¥2 banknote, so the whole country instantly recognises the view. Coming here feels like stepping into an image you have seen your entire life.
