Danzhou

Danzhou is in the northwest of China's southernmost province, the island of Hainan. Population was just under a million as of 2010.

Understand
Danzhou (儋州) is prefecture-level city with jurisdiction over a large area, which includes 17 towns.

Danzhou's administrative capital and largest urban center is the town of Nada (那大), which has a population of about a quarter of a million people. Nada is also the third largest urban center on Hainan Island after Haikou and Sanya.

The second-most populous urban area in Danzhou is the Yangpu Economic Development Zone (洋浦经济开发区), which sits on the Yangpu Peninsula. The Yangpu EDZ is connected to the nearby town of Baimajing (白马井) by a bridge. Since the completion of the bridge, the Yangpu EDZ and Baimajing have become increasingly interconnected, so for all practical purposes, the two towns may be considered to be part of a single conurbation.

Talk
Danzhou has its own local Danzhou dialect, which is distinct from the Hainanese dialect spoken in other parts of the island. As with elsewhere in China, most younger locals are also able to speak Mandarin.

By plane
Danzhou Airport was originally expected to open in 2020, but the project has been delayed and construction has not yet started. In the meantime, you can catch a bus from Haikou Meilan International Airport. The ticket price is ¥42.

By bus
Nada has bus connections with every major town and city on the island. Yangpu and Baimajing also have good bus connections with other towns and cities in Hainan.

From Haikou, buses depart from the Haikou West Bus Station. From Sanya, buses depart from the Sanya West Bus Station.

By train
Hainan's high-speed railway has two stations in Danzhou. One is at Yintan, the other is at Baimajing. The Baimajing High Speed Railway Station has bus services to Nada and Yangpu.

Get around
Buses between the two main urban centers of Nada and Yangpu are very frequent, departing approximately every 10 minutes from about 06:00 to 19:00. The journey time is approximately one hour and the fare is ¥15.

Buses are also available from Nada and Yangpu to other towns in Danzhou, but are generally a lot less frequent.

At a local level, Nada and Yangpu have taxis and public bus services. In smaller towns, one must get around by walking or using motorized pedicabs (sanlunche 三轮车).