Open by design
International residents are at the heart of the project, while visitors and local people with a genuine interest in the community are welcome too.
Community
Sanya’s international community, made easier to find.
Sanya Expats is an open guide for international residents, newcomers and curious locals across Sanya and southern Hainan.
Why it exists
Meet people. Share what is useful.
The aim is simple: make it easier to find good events, exchange practical local knowledge and meet people with different backgrounds. International residents are at the centre, but this is not an expat-only club. Anyone interested in Sanya and the wider southern coast should feel welcome.
We want the community channels to complement the website: fewer repeated promotions, clearer event details and straightforward routes back to information that can be checked and corrected.
How it should feel
Friendly, specific and worth opening.
These principles shape the website now and will also govern future group channels and event submissions.
Useful before loud
Clear context, complete details and respectful conversation should come before forwarded adverts, duplicate posts or vague promotions.
Candid and correctable
We will say when information is provisional, make corrections visible and welcome firsthand knowledge without pretending every opinion is a fact.
Independent, with room for the whole island.
Sanya Expats is an independent community guide and is not affiliated with the Sanya municipal government or Sanya Tourism Board. Official guides can be useful for major attractions and formal information. We will also cover tourism when we can add candid, practical context, alongside events, neighbourhoods and community life across Sanya, Lingshui, Wanning and beyond.
New to the city?
Read the starter guideStart with the practical essentials.
Accommodation registration, phone setup, payments, transport, useful Chinese and the habits that make the first days easier.