Luhuitou (Deer Turns Back) Hilltop Park is a national scenic spot on the Luhuitou Peninsula at the southwestern end of Sanya. The entry fee is 45 RMB, and 15 RMB for the shuttle bus. There are altogether five hills in the park, with the highest elevation reaching 181 meters. The park is surrounded by the sea on three sides and overlooks downtown Sanya, making it an ideal spot to watch the sea, the sunrise and sunset, and to appreciate the panoramic view of Sanya.

                  

There is a beautiful love story about the name “Luhuitou” (meaning deer turns back in Chinese). The story goes that long long ago, a young handsome Li ethnic hunter, wearing a red scarf on his head and holding a bow and arrow in hand, ran after a deer which tramped over 99 mountains and waded down 99 rivers till the shore of the South China Sea. The deer stopped at the cliff, beyond which there was nothing but the vast sea. The young hunter was getting ready to shoot while the deer turned back, looking at the hunter with her beautiful sad eyes. The hunter was touched by the eyes and dropped his bow. All of a sudden, a flame shone and mist rose to the sky, and the deer turned into a beautiful girl. The hunter and the girl then fell in love, got married, and settled down in the mountain, which was later named “Luhuitou”. The sculpture of a deer turning back was built according to this folklore, it is the tallest sculpture on Hainan Island, and has become a symbol of Sanya, the “Deer City”.

Now, Luhuitou Park carries two themes, on love and ecology. Main attractions include the Tailwind Platform, Deer Yard, Slide-way, Ziqidonglai (Purple Air Coming from the East-a propitious omen), the Love Garden, Li Ethnic Singing and Dancing Performances, the Deer-Turns-Back Sculpture, the Hilltop Garden, and the North Pavilion Viewing Platform, etc. It is also the heart of Sanya’s natural reserve for forest plants. As a tropical monsoon evergreen forest ecosystem, it is home to a variety of plant species, including many national or provincial level endemic species.

Recommended Route: Deer Yard - Love Mountain nearby South China Sea - North Pavilion Viewing Platform - Love at First Sight - Slide-way