[top photo - HAWAII OF THE EAST: Hainan Island is popular for its many white beaches.]

By Tan Mae Lynn

YOU want blue waters and miles of sandy beaches. So where should you go for your beach holiday? Bali, Phuket, Hawaii?

How about China?

Hainan Island is one of China's nicest secrets.

Located off the southern coast, it is just a three-hour flight from Singapore.

Historically, the island used to be a place for exiled Chinese citizens. Now, Hainan has developed into a popular destination, although mostly for domestic tourists.

The island has also played host to the Miss World competition for four years and has a number of five-star resorts and golf courses.

The capital, Haikou, is a good starting point to explore the island. That is where most international flights arrive.

Wugong Temple

About 5km from the city centre is the Wugong Temple, also known as the Five Officials' Temple. It was built during the Ming Dynasty, between 1368 and 1644.

GREAT VIEW: The Goddess of Mercy stands at the edge of the South China Sea.

It is part of a complex made up of five buildings. Though the temple is a simple two-storey wooden structure, the local Chinese consider it to be 'the No 1 building in Hainan'.

That is because it was built to commemorate five officials who were banished to the island during the Tang and Song dynasties.

There are statues of once honourable officials, who fell out of favour and were banished.

The complex serves as a museum with verses written on the walls and stone tablets for visitors to learn about the officials' history and background.

For those more inclined to natural wonders, there is the Dongzhai harbour mangrove nature reserve. There are more than 150 species of birds there, and it is also called 'heaven for birds'.

During winter, migratory birds also stop at the reserve to feed on the abundant marine life found in the mangrove swamp.

Another popular attraction is the 'villages under the sea'.

Legend has it that on 13 Jul 1605, a major earthquake struck the area, at midnight. It is believed that the quake caused 71 villages to sink into the sea.

Visitors can take a boat out to the area and see these submerged villages. The best time is usually in May or June when, at low tide, visitors can get a good view of the relics.

Sanya, a city on the southern tip of Hainan, has become the destination of choice among wealthy Chinese tourists.

Hotel chains like Banyan Tree, Mandarin Oriental and the Ritz-Carlton have opened resorts here.

Here, it is all about sun, sea and sand. Most visitors to Sanya choose to relax at its many white beaches and enjoy the turquoise waters. One of the most scenic spots is Tianya Haijiao, which means the edge of the sky and end of the sea.

One tourist draw in Sanya is the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone. It was built in 1998 to commemorate the passing of 2000 years since Buddhism entered China.

It is about the size of 41/2 football fields.

The main feature of the Nanshan park is a 108m-tall (about the height of a 35-storey building) statue of the Goddess of Mercy.

Another statue worth seeing is the Golden Jade Kwanyin which, though only 3.8m, is covered with gold and silver and has 120 carats of diamonds and other jewels embedded in it.

Getting there

Till the end of June, Tiger Airways flies direct to Haikou daily. Carriers such as China Southern and Xiamen Airlines have non-direct flights, with stops in other Chinese cities.

This article was first published in The New Paper.