Maldives, Sanya: Two paradises bound by the same blue

Recently, Kong Xianhua, China's Ambassador to the Maldives, took to social media to draw a comparison between the stunning night views of the famed Indian Ocean island nation — the global, luxury vacation destination — and the breathtaking coastline of Sanya city.

The post by Ambassador Kong Xianhua aimed to introduce Sanya, the ever-shining popular coastal resort in China's southernmost Hainan province, to audiences worldwide.

He wrote:

This tranquil night in the Maldives likes the coastal beauty of Sanya, Hainan, China. Both are cradled by the Indian and South China Seas, where coconut palms sway and the ocean whisper sunder the stars.

One is a necklace of coral islands, the other a tropical paradise on the southern edge of our continent.

Water connects us, not just as geography, but as a shared way of life: open, resilient, and full of warmth.

Good night, Maldives. We are bound by the same blue. 

Please enjoy the blue of Sanya:

The panoramic landscape of Sanya Bay always draws admirers. [Photo/Sanya Municipal Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports]

An evocative aerial glimpse of Wuzhizhou Island off Sanya. [Photo/VCG]

A hovering drone provides a stunning aerial depiction of Haitang Bay and Atlantis Sanya in Sanya. [Photo/VCG]

Hongtang Bay offers visitors a wonderful time. [Photo/VCG]

Athletes from across China compete in the 2026 China Extreme Dance Performance Competition in Sanya. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A passenger plane soars into the azure sky over the Chinese resort city. [Photo/VCG]