The Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone (南山文化旅游区) is in the far west of Sanya. Its best-known sight is the 108 m statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, standing on a platform in the sea, beside a large Tang-style Buddhist temple. The official ticket notice, which we read on 17 October 2026, says tickets are sold 08:00 to 17:00 and divides the year into high and low season, but it does not show a full adult price. We say so plainly rather than quote an old number as current. See the Sanya guide for the whole city.
Fees and hours: three sources
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket sales | 08:00 to 17:00 | Official notice, 17 Oct 2026 |
| High / low season | 1 Oct to 30 Apr / 1 May to 30 Sep | Official notice |
| Student ticket (6 to under 18 with Chinese ID or household register; full-time students including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan; not postgraduates) | CNY 64 (high) / CNY 54 (low) | Official notice |
| Aged 60 to under 65 | CNY 105 (high) / CNY 86 (low) | Official notice |
| Aged 65 to under 70 | CNY 64 (high) / CNY 54 (low) | Official notice |
| Veterans and civilian staff of the armed forces | CNY 65 (high) / CNY 54 (low) | Official notice |
| Military family members | CNY 124 (high) / CNY 103 (low) | Official notice |
| Full adult fee | Not shown on the notice | Official site |
| Full adult fee | CNY 108 (May to Sep) and CNY 145 (Oct to Apr) | Wikivoyage, last edited 2020, not official |
| Full adult fee | CNY 108 (May to Sep) and CNY 129 (Oct to Apr) | Travel China Guide, undated, not official |
| Tourist bus or trolley in the zone | CNY 30 extra | Travel China Guide (undated) and Wikivoyage (2020), not official |
Our reading: the three sources agree on CNY 108 for the low season and disagree on the high-season fee (CNY 129 or CNY 145). The official discount fees are far below those figures, so the real adult price must be higher than the official student price, and we cannot say more from the notice. The official site recommends buying through its official WeChat account (海南南山旅游), its official OTA channels or the ticket office at the visitor centre, and warns about unofficial channels. Its phone number on the notice is 0898-88837888 (the Wikivoyage entry gives +86 898 88837946). Check the price on the channel you buy through.
Free entry and discounts: mostly for Chinese documents
The official notice grants free entry to children under 6 (with a Chinese resident ID or household register) or 1.2 m and under, to people aged 70 and over (with a resident ID card), to disabled people with the Chinese Disabled Persons' Federation certificate, to journalists with a Chinese press card, and to several groups of military, fire-rescue and Hainan blood-donor card holders. Almost all of these conditions name Chinese documents. The notice says nothing about foreign passports, so a foreign student or senior should not assume a discount. Ask the channel you buy through which document it accepts. The 1.2 m height rule is the one that does not depend on an ID card. Pets are not allowed.
What is in the zone
The official site describes Nanshan Temple as a Tang-style temple built on a site facing the sea. The foundation stone was laid on 11 November 1995 and the temple was completed on 12 April 1998, with 5,500 sq m of buildings. Its three main halls are the Renwang Gate, the Doushuai Inner Court and the Golden Hall, where Shakyamuni sits in the centre.
The official pages we could open have no separate page on the 108 m statue. A Wikimedia Commons caption describes it as standing on a platform in the sea reached by a causeway. Wikivoyage says the main temple is about 2 km west of the statue, quieter and less commercial, and that the zone also has a Longevity Valley (长寿谷) and short walking trails. China Highlights calls the zone three themed parks: a Buddhist culture park, a longevity culture park and a folk customs park.
How to get there
The official site gives these routes:
| From | How, per the official site |
|---|---|
| Sanya high-speed railway station | Bus 55 runs direct to the zone |
| Yazhou railway station | Bus 301 runs direct |
| Sanya Phoenix Airport | Take bus 108 or 127, then change to bus 5, 30, 116, 125 or 157 |
| Sanya city | Buses 5, 30, 116, 125 and 157 run direct |
| By car | East expressway to the Sanya ring road, exit at Nanshan, then 5 km to the gate; or the west expressway, exit at Yacheng, then 3 km |
The site also describes a rail route via "Nanshan North" station and then bus 466. Wikivoyage says Nanshan North station is no longer in use. The two sources conflict, so check your train ticket app before planning that route. Wikivoyage says about an hour from the city by bus (not official), so allow a whole day. Travel China Guide names buses 16, 55 or 57 to Nanshan station and 25 to Nanshansi station (undated). Taxis exist; Wikivoyage gives a CNY 8 flag-fall (not official).
When to go
Our suggestion, not official: arrive in the morning, because ticket sales end at 17:00 and the zone is large; allow half a day to a full day including travel. Avoid heavy rain and storms; the China Meteorological Administration says tropical cyclones matter most from June to November. The zone is on the opposite side of the city from Wuzhizhou Island, so do not combine them in one day. See the Wuzhizhou page.
Links on this page and our earnings
The ticket search button opens a provider's search page. As of 17 October 2026 we have no registered affiliate link for Nanshan tickets and earn nothing from them yet. We have not compared prices. You can buy through the official channels the zone names. Our disclosure page explains how affiliate links work and what we never do.
How this compares
We read Travel China Guide's Nanshan page, Wikivoyage's Sanya page and China Highlights' Sanya guide. Travel China Guide and Wikivoyage give full adult fees but they are undated or from 2020, and they differ from each other in the high season. China Highlights describes the park but gives no fee in the text we read. This page uses the official notice for every number it can, shows the missing adult fee as missing, lists the other sources side by side, and flags that most discounts need Chinese documents.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Nanshan ticket?
The official notice we read on 17 October 2026 shows no full adult price. It shows discount prices such as CNY 64 for students in high season. Wikivoyage gives CNY 108 and CNY 145, Travel China Guide CNY 108 and CNY 129, both unofficial. Check the channel you buy through.
What time does Nanshan open?
The official notice gives ticket sales from 08:00 to 17:00. It does not give a closing time for the zone, so check the official WeChat account or call 0898-88837888.
When is the high season?
1 October to 30 April; low season is 1 May to 30 September, per the official notice.
Can foreigners get student or senior prices?
The notice lists Chinese documents and does not mention foreign passports, except that full-time students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are named. Ask the ticket channel.
How do I get there from the airport?
The official site says to take bus 108 or 127 and change to bus 5, 30, 116, 125 or 157, or take a taxi.
Can I bring a pet?
No. The notice says pets are not allowed.
How long should I allow?
The official site gives no time. Our suggestion: half a day to a full day including travel.
See also
- Sanya travel guide
- Wuzhizhou Island
- Hainan duty-free shopping rules
- Where to stay in Sanya
- China entry rules
Official sources and further reading
- Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone, official site (Chinese): ticket notice, read 17 Oct 2026
- Nanshan official site (Chinese): transport
- Nanshan official site (Chinese): Nanshan Temple
- Wikivoyage: Sanya, Nanshan Temple entry (older figures; not official)
- Travel China Guide: Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone (undated; benchmark, read 17 Oct 2026)
- China Highlights: Sanya Travel Guide (benchmark, read 17 Oct 2026)
- China Meteorological Administration: Sanya climate and tropical cyclones (Chinese)
- Wikimedia Commons: Sea Goddess of Mercy photo (not official)
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
