儋州市

Why this place

Danzhou is on Hainan's drier west coast, and it is the place to see the island's older culture — the thousand-year-old salt fields at Yangpu, where seawater is still evaporated on stone, and the local Danzhou opera, which predates the island's other forms.

What to see

• The Yangpu ancient salt fields — stone salt pans still used after 1,200 years
• The Dongpo Academy, where Su Dongpo taught during his exile to Hainan
• The volcanic coast and the Hainan west coast beaches
• The Danzhou opera performances, which are a genuine local tradition

What to eat

• Danzhou is known for its 'luodou' bean dishes and its own style of Hainan chicken rice
• West-coast seafood, cheaper and quieter than Sanya

Best time

November–April