Lingshui Li Autonomous County

Understand

The administrative capital and largest town is Yelin.

Getting there

By high-speed train 1 Lingshui Railway Station, 269 Yelin North Avenue (269). Lingshui's train station is on the high speed rail line which links all the main places on Hainan. As of July 2020, a one-way first class ticket from Haikou's Meilan Airport costs ¥98 or ¥104 and a one-way second class ticket cost ¥72. The journey takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes and there are announcements in Mandarin and English. You can also take the train here from Sanya's Fenghuang Airport. The train from Fenghuang Airport only takes around 35 minutes. (updated Jul 2020)

By bus 2 Lingshui Bus Station (The bus station is just next door to the railway station). This bus station opened in 2019. The old Lingshui Bus Station on Xinjian Road is now closed. (updated Jul 2020) Buses to Lingshui are available from most major cities and towns on the island. Buses from Haikou depart from the Haikou East Bus Station and cost ¥70. Buses from Sanya depart from the main bus station and cost ¥29. Most buses arrive at the Lingshui Bus Station in Yelin, but there are also direct buses from Sanya to Clearwater Bay (Qingshui Bay) and Tufu Bay. If travelling to Perfume Bay (Xiangshui Bay), however, you will need to change buses at Yelin.

Getting around

The main forms of transportation in Lingshui are public buses and taxis.

See

1 Nanwan Monkey Island (Nánwān hóu dǎo), Xincun Town (take the Lingshui-Xincun Bus from Yelin Town to the final stop and walk approximately 300 m to the cable car ticket office; or; catch the free shuttle bus from the Lingshui High Speed Train Station; you can also catch an express bus from Sanya Railway Station for ¥25), ☏ +86 898 83360902. 08:30-17:00, ticket office closes at 16:30. Nanwan Monkey Island is a nature reserve created for Macaque monkeys which are a Class 2 Protected Species in China. There are there are over 2500 monkeys living in the reserve. Be careful, these monkeys are playful and will jump on humans and if hungry, may attack people for sweet drinks or food! There are also some circus-style comedy shows featuring monkeys doing stunts. The reserve is connected to the mainland by China's longest cable car to cross over a body of water. The cable car ride is worth taking just for the spectacular views of Lingshui's coast. ¥143 (includes cable car ride or ferry trip plus monkey show). Children, students, elderly people, and tour groups are eligible for discounted prices. (updated Jan 2018)

2 Boundary Island (the ferry terminal is at the Niu Ling Exit of Hainan's main highway. Take Intercity Bus no. 3 from Lingshui Railway Station), ☏ +86 898 83347555, +86 898 83347033. 08:30-17:30. Boundary Island is a small island situated off the coast of Lingshui. It is very popular with visitors to Lingshui thanks to a combination of the beautiful scenery and a wide variety of activities:Aquarium: With daily dolphin and sea lion shows.Watersports such as jet skiing and parasailing are available on the beach.Diving: the waters around Boundary Island have excellent visibility and diverse sea life.In addition to this there are several restaurants with great views over the ocean and lots of small stalls selling snacks and refreshments. ¥128-132 depending on season (includes entrance fee and ferry trip to and from the island). (updated Jan 2018) 3 Yetian

Do

Dan Jia Yu Pai — one of Lingshui's most unique features. It's in the harbour of Xin Cun Village, close to the Ticket Office of the Nan Wan Monkey Island Cable Car. Dan Jia Yu Pai is a floating village which has been home to the Dan people for many generations. It is still a working fishing harbour, although the residents have started to diversify and now visitors can enjoy a meal in one of the floating restaurants. Due to its proximity to Nan Wan Monkey Island it is recommended to visit both in the same day. 1 Mytikas Water Park, Li'an Town (sbout 10 km by road from the center of Yelin Town). 11:00-19:00, no entry after 18:00. Some attractions close at 15:00. The park is closed from January 1st to June 25th. After a 3-day open period between June 25th and June 27th, the park is shut again until July 2nd, after which time it is open from Thursday to Sunday. From August 1st to the end of December, the park is open every day. Lingshui's only water park. The park was opened in 2018 and parts of it are still under construction. ¥200. (updated Jul 2020) 2 Agile Clearwater Bay Arts Centre, Clearwater Bay Avenue. A performing arts center. (updated Jul 2020) 3 Clearwater Bay Golf Club, Clearwater Bay Avenue, Yingzhou Town, ☏ +86 898 83358666. 06:00-19:00. Designed by Schmidt-Curley Design, a US golf course design company. Visitors should pay a minimum of ¥800 to play 9 holes or ¥1645 to play 18 holes. Additional fees apply for the hiring of equipment, including ¥400 for a set of clubs. (updated Jul 2020)

Buy

1 Haiyun Plaza (Haiyun Square), 8 South Binhe Road, Yelin Town (8) (In the town center). 08:00-24:00. Lingshui's largest modern shopping center. (updated Jul 2020)

Eat

Things to eat Sour Noodles: Each area of Hainan has its own style of Sour Noodles so it's worth giving them a try. This popular dish is sold in both restaurants and on street side stalls throughout Lingshui. On average a bowl of Sour Noodles will cost less than ¥10. Seafood: You can't come to Hainan and not try the seafood. Seafood restaurants with rows of fish tanks displaying your options are found on every street. Go in and select exactly what you want and they cook it fresh to order. Pufferfish Porridge: Pufferfish porridge is a speciality of the area and is eaten as an accompaniment to fresh seafood.

Restaurants 1 Tiffany's Western Restaurant, Narada Resort Perfume Bay in Xiangshui (15 km northeast of Lingshui Railway Station on the Hainan Circular Expressway), ☏ +86 898 83308888. Excellent choice of western classics with creative use of local ingredient. Also serving first class hamburgers. Moderate for a five-star hotel.

Drink & nightlife

Coconut Juice: Thanks to the abundance of coconut groves on the island you'll see stalls on every street with mounds of fresh coconuts outside. For a refreshing break, make sure to pick up a fresh coconut and sit back and relax.

Sleep

1 Badminton Hotel, Binhe Road South, Yelin Town (take a taxi from the Lingshui High Speed Railway Station; about 4 km), ☏ +86 898 83383333. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. The hotel is next to the China National Badminton Team‘s Lingshui Training Base, hence the name Badminton Hotel. Prices start from ¥298. (updated Jan 2018) 2 Raffles Hainan, Clearwater Bay Avenue, Yingzhou Town, ☏ +86 898 8338 9888, toll-free: +800 1 7233537. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Prices start from around ¥1300. (updated Jan 2018) 3 Xiangshui Bay Marriott Resort & Spa, Zone B, Xiangshui Bay T