Sanya has an ancient city called Yazhou Ancient City, with a long history and rich ancient charm, making it a great place to visit

Sanya is very fun, but if you want to experience the historical atmosphere, come to Yazhou Ancient City. In this ancient city at the southernmost tip of China, you can listen to its long-standing historical stories.

Here you can see detailed introductions of famous historical figures from Yazhou, including Madam Xian, Huang Daopo, the eminent monk Jianzhen, and others. Their life stories are all here. They used their own strength to change the appearance of Yazhou and the lives of its people, leaving shining footprints on this ancient land.

Huang Daopo is honored as the "Ancestor of Weaving." It is said that during the Yuan Dynasty, she improved the spinning and weaving techniques of the Li ethnic group. Not only did she lead the women of Yazhou to master this craft, but she also spread it to the mainland, sparking what scholars at home and abroad call a "cotton revolution" that lasted for centuries, making cotton textiles a daily necessity.

The Dacheng Hall shines brilliantly under the sunlight, with the twin dragons playing with a pearl on the eaves vividly lifelike, solemn and majestic while fully displaying a royal style.

Although it has undergone repairs and reconstructions over the years, walking inside the ancient city still allows you to feel a strong sense of antiquity. The city walls are tall and magnificent, imposing in grandeur. The architectural layout follows the style of Central Plains culture, making this "Land’s End" feel familiar and intimate.

Yazhou, once a remote and barren place isolated overseas, also produced many historical figures. Madam Xian, the "First Female Hero," Huang Daopo, the "Innovator of Cotton Spinning Technology," and Li Deyu, the "Eternal Virtuous Prime Minister," all came from Yazhou.

The Yazhou Confucian Academy, combining temple and school, was founded in the fourth year of the Qingli era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1044). It was the highest-ranking academy in ancient Yazhou and the southernmost Confucian temple in China, known as the "First Sacred Hall at the End of the Earth." This group of buildings was relocated more than 30 times in history and was finally settled here during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty.

The Yazhou Confucian Academy mainly consists of the Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond, Dacheng Hall, and Chongsheng Shrine, with a layout basically the same as Confucian temples in the Central Plains. The Lingxing Gate is tall and majestic, with a stone inscription written by Emperor Qianlong himself.

The Pan Pond and Pan Bridge are directly in front of the Dacheng Gate. The water in the Pan Pond is half full, confirming the ancient saying "Water overflows when full, the moon wanes when full." Confucius hoped his disciples would be like the water in the Pan Pond—humble, avoiding arrogance and impatience, and constantly improving.

The Dacheng Hall is the core building of the Yazhou Confucian Academy, housing a statue of Confucius. For locals, if there is a student taking an exam in the family, it is always a good idea to come and pay respects.

Leaving Yazhou Confucian Academy and walking to the old street of the ancient city feels like traveling back to the Republic of China era. The two- and three-story arcade buildings on both sides of the street, though weathered, still faintly reveal the grandeur of Nanyang architecture behind their slightly dilapidated appearance.

Among the orderly arcades lies a piece of Yazhou’s memory—at the beginning of the Republic of China, Yazhou people who went to do business in Fujian, Guangdong, and other places returned home, bringing back not only wealth and technology but also the architectural styles of foreign lands.

Post by Benjamin.Moore@52 | Aug 16, 2025