# Luhuitou Park, Sanya > A hilltop park on the Luhuitou headland between Dadonghai and Sanya Bay, topped by a 12-metre granite deer statue and the best panorama of the city. Entry is free with your passport; the sightseeing cart up costs 28 yuan return (unofficial). Open 8:00–22:30. Allow 90 minutes and arrive an hour before sunset. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/luhuitou-park - City: [Sanya](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya), China - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; you register with your passport at the gate - Sightseeing cart: 28 yuan return, same price for all ages - Hours: 8:00–22:30, last entry 22:00; open daily - Address: Luling Road (鹿岭路), Jiyang District, near Xiaodonghai Road - From Dadonghai: Taxi 5–10 min; bus 55 to the Luhuitou Scenic Area stop, 2 yuan - Walk to the top: 25–40 minutes uphill from the gate - Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card, or cash yuan - Time needed: 90 minutes; 2 hours with sunset - Coordinates: 18.22714, 109.49841 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **12 m** — the granite statue of the deer, the hunter and the girl on the summit; some guides say 15 m (source: Chinese and Japanese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide) - **Free entry** — only the sightseeing cart is paid (source: National Business Daily (mrjjxw.com); East China Trip; China Educational Tours; Ctrip/Qunar) - **181 m** — the highest of the hill's peaks, the top viewpoint over downtown Sanya (source: Chinese Wikipedia (Hainan Yearbook); East China Trip) - **82.88 ha** — of tropical forest across the hills of the headland (source: Chinese Wikipedia (Hainan Yearbook)) - **Lin Yuhao** — the Hainan sculptor who made the statue and picked the site himself (source: Chinese and Japanese Wikipedia) - **Deer City** — Sanya's nickname, Lucheng (鹿城), comes from the legend (source: Chinese and Japanese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide) - **Li people** — Hainan's indigenous people, whose hunter-and-deer legend named the hill (source: Chinese and Japanese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide; China Daily) - **5 peaks** — on the hill; Beiting Pavilion sits on the highest (source: East China Trip; China Educational Tours) - **Macaques** — wild monkeys live in the park's forest (source: East China Trip; China Educational Tours) - **West-facing** — the summit looks over Sanya Bay and Phoenix Island, where the sun sets (source: East China Trip; China Educational Tours) ## Luhuitou Park entrance fee: is it free? Yes. Entry is **free**, but you register with your passport at the gate — without it you may be turned away. The only charge is the optional **sightseeing cart** to the summit: **28 yuan return**, one price for adults and children, according to Chinese booking sites. We found no official price list, so treat it as a guide. Older guides quote a 35–42 yuan ticket; that has been dropped. Unofficially, the gate office sometimes sells only a bundle with an extra tour. If you just want the ride up, book the cart on Trip.com beforehand or simply walk. China runs on QR payments, and cards are rarely any use at small stalls. Pay through **Alipay or WeChat Pay** linked to your Visa or Mastercard — set them up before you fly — and carry some small yuan notes for the bus and drinks. ## Opening hours and the best time for sunset The park opens daily from **8:00 to 22:30**, with last entry at 22:00. A few sources give 7:30 or an earlier 21:00 close, so double-check on the day. There's no weekly closing day. Come an hour before sunset. By our own astronomical calculation, the sun sets in Sanya around 18:05 in November and December and around 19:20 in June and July. Arrive by 17:00 in winter or 18:15 in summer to get up, grab a spot at the railing and stay for the city lights after dark. Midday is hot and shadeless at the top, even in winter; weekday mornings are the quietest. ## How to get to Luhuitou Park 1. From downtown (Jiefang Road), a **taxi** takes 15–20 minutes and, unofficially, costs about 15 yuan. From Dadonghai it's 5–10 minutes and about 10 yuan. DiDi runs inside Alipay in English and takes foreign cards. 2. Cheaper: **city bus 55** from Dadonghai or downtown to the Luhuitou Scenic Area stop (鹿回头风景区, Luhuitou Fengjingqu); route 125 also passes through Dadonghai. Fares are 2 yuan, cash without change or QR code. Sources disagree on route numbers, so check Amap before you go. 3. At the gate, show your passport for the free entry pass. Booking online is advised during the day; unofficially, evening visitors are let in without one. 4. Ride the **sightseeing cart** up (28 yuan return) or walk — 25–40 minutes uphill on paved paths. 5. Head back the same way. Keep your hotel's address in Chinese on your phone for the driver. > **Watch your snacks — the monkeys will** Wild macaques live in the park's forest. Keep food and drinks zipped inside a bag, don't feed them and don't stare them down. Plastic bags in hand are an open invitation. ## Is Luhuitou Park worth it? Yes, if you're staying in [Dadonghai](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/dadonghai) or on Sanya Bay: it's the best sunset in the city for 90 minutes and the price of a cart ride. As a park it's modest — paved paths, pavilions and viewpoints rather than gardens. If you're based out at [Yalong Bay](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yalong-bay) and not otherwise heading into town, an hour's round trip just for the view is optional. Families do well here: the cart takes the effort out of the climb, and there's a small deer area near the top. ## What to see at Luhuitou - **The deer statue** on the summit: the deer looks back over its shoulder beside the young hunter and the girl it became. It's Sanya's signature photo. - **Beiting Pavilion**, the highest viewpoint: Sanya Bay, the towers of Phoenix Island and the river bridges below. - The view east over the curve of Dadonghai beach and its hotels. - **The cliff carved with 爱 (“love”)** and the inscribed lovers' stones — couples come here from all over China. - **The love-lock wall** and ribbons tied to the old tree by Shanmeng Pavilion. - The deer enclosure near the top — unofficially, the animals are livelier late in the afternoon. - The city lit up at night, from the same viewpoints, until closing. ## The legend of the deer that looked back The name, “the deer turns its head”, retells a legend of the **Li people**, Hainan's indigenous inhabitants. A young hunter chased a spotted deer for days, from the mountains of the interior all the way to the sea. Cornered on a cliff edge, the deer looked back and turned into a young woman. The two married and settled on this shore. The hill, the headland and the village below all take their name from the story, and Sanya itself is nicknamed **Lucheng**, “Deer City”. The summit statue is the work of Hainan sculptor **Lin Yuhao**; its height is usually given as 12 metres, though some guides say 15. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Passport with me for the entry pass - [ ] Checked today's sunset time and leaving an hour before - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay working, plus small yuan notes - [ ] Chinese address saved for the taxi driver: 三亚市吉阳区鹿岭路鹿回头风景区 - [ ] Water, with food packed away from the monkeys - [ ] Comfortable shoes if I'm walking up ## Luhuitou, Dadonghai or Yalong Bay? | | Luhuitou Park | Dadonghai | Yalong Bay | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Hilltop park with statue and viewpoints | City bay and beach | White-sand bay lined with resorts | | Entry | Free; cart 28 yuan | Free | Free public stretch by Central Square | | Go for | City view and sunset | Beach and seafront evenings | Sanya's clearest water | | Time needed | 1.5–2 h | 2 h or more | Half a day | | From downtown | ≈ 15–20 min by taxi | ≈ 3 km, 10–20 min | ≈ 25 km, ≈ 30 min | Luhuitou and Dadonghai are neighbours: beach by day, hilltop at sunset. Yalong Bay is a separate half-day trip. ## Sanya viewpoints compared Every viewpoint in Sanya rated by YesGo. - [Phoenix Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/phoenix-island) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free from the shore; island by booking - [Luhuitou Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/luhuitou-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; cart 28 yuan return - [Tianya Haijiao](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/tianya-haijiao) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, advance booking required - [Nanwan Monkey Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/nanwan-monkey-island) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ ¥154 incl. return cable car - [Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yalong-bay-forest-park) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥158 incl. shuttle; bridges extra - [Nanshan Buddhist Cultural Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/nanshan-temple) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ ¥130–160 with park train - [Yanoda Rainforest Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yanoda) — YesGo score 17/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ≈ ¥168 incl. park shuttle - [Wuzhizhou Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/wuzhizhou-island) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · 144 yuan incl. return ferry ## East Sanya in a day: beaches, then the hilltop Morning in the forest park and on the sand at Yalong Bay, afternoon in Dadonghai, sunset by the deer statue. 1. [Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yalong-bay-forest-park) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥158 incl. shuttle; bridges extra 2. [Yalong Bay](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yalong-bay) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Beach free; rentals extra 3. [Dadonghai Bay](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/dadonghai) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free 4. [Luhuitou Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/luhuitou-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; cart 28 yuan return ## Good to know Luhuitou is also the name of the whole headland, a village and several beachfront resorts on it. The hill, the viewpoints and the statue are only inside the park, entered from Luling Road. Google Maps doesn't work in China without roaming or an eSIM that routes abroad — search “鹿回头风景区” in Amap instead. ## Tips - Ride the cart up and walk down — you'll pass the love cliff and the lock wall on the way. - Shoot the statue from the wide stairway below the plinth to fit all three figures in the frame. - Claim a railing spot at Beiting Pavilion early — it's the highest point, so that's where everyone heads for sunset. - Make it an evening: dinner in Dadonghai is 5–10 minutes away by taxi. - Weekday mornings are the quietest time if you want photos without crowds. ## Questions ### Is Luhuitou Park free? Yes, entry is free with your passport. Only the optional sightseeing cart to the summit is paid — 28 yuan return, according to Chinese booking sites. ### What are Luhuitou Park opening hours? Daily from 8:00 to 22:30, with last entry at 22:00. Some sources differ, so check on the day. ### How do I get to Luhuitou Park from Dadonghai? A taxi takes 5–10 minutes. City bus 55 stops at Luhuitou Scenic Area; the fare is 2 yuan. ### How long does it take to walk up Luhuitou? About 25–40 minutes uphill from the gate on paved paths. The cart is the easy option. ### When is the best time to visit Luhuitou Park? An hour before sunset: watch the sun drop over Sanya Bay, then stay for the city lights. Sunset is around 18:05 in winter and 19:20 in midsummer. ### Is Luhuitou Park worth visiting? Yes, if you're staying in Dadonghai or on Sanya Bay — it's the city's best sunset view. From Yalong Bay it's a longer trip for a view alone. ### Are there monkeys at Luhuitou Park? Yes, wild macaques live in the forest. Keep food in a closed bag and don't feed them. ### What is the legend of Luhuitou? In a Li legend, a hunter chased a deer to a cliff edge; it looked back and became a woman he married. Sanya's nickname “Deer City” comes from it. ### Do I need my passport for Luhuitou Park? Yes — the free entry pass is issued against your passport, so bring the original. ## How we checked The park's official website, listed in Wikidata, would not load, so fares and hours come from Chinese booking sites (Ctrip, Qunar) and travel guides and are marked “verifying”. Free entry is confirmed by National Business Daily and three guides; the 35–42 yuan tickets in older sources are out of date. Hours differ: most give 8:00–22:30, Travel China Guide 7:30–21:00. Encyclopedias give the statue as 12 m, some guides 15 m — we show both. The 181 m summit height is confirmed by two sources; the 280–285 m in some guides is not. Sunset times are our own calculation for Sanya's coordinates. Bus numbers vary between sources; route 55 appears in all of them. ## Sources - Chinese Wikipedia: 鹿回头 — area, summit height, statue, sculptor (citing the Hainan Yearbook) - Japanese Wikipedia: 鹿回頭公園; Wikidata Q10567079 - Travel China Guide: Luhuitou Peninsula — legend, statue, buses - China Daily (chinaservicesinfo.com): Luhuitou Park — address, buses, legend - East China Trip: Luhuitou Park Sanya Travel Guide — entry, cart, hours, buses, peaks - China Educational Tours: Luhuitou Scenic Area — entry, hours, macaques, viewpoints - Ctrip and Qunar: sightseeing cart ticket including free entry - National Business Daily (mrjjxw.com) — free entry to the park --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.