Before Hainan meant beaches, it meant salt. On the dry west coast, that history is still alive in the field.
How the pans work
Seawater floods shallow rectangular pans, the sun does the evaporating, and workers rake the salt into white pyramids. The process has barely changed in a thousand years — only the wind pumps are new.
The west-coast light
The pans sit just north of Dongfang, with the island's westernmost lighthouse watching over the coast. Photographers come for the mirror-like water at sunrise; the best month is April, before the rains.
Practical visit
The pans are working sites, not theme parks — ask before walking in, and buy a bag of coarse sea salt from the workers as the honest souvenir. Combine with Dongfang's seafood markets for lunch.
Read next Continue west with our Changjiang and Qizi Bay guide, or follow the seafood trail in the food channel.
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