The four Filipino content creators boarded a cable car and embarked on an ecological adventure through Lingshui’s mountain-and-sea scenery and playful macaques—a journey that took them up into the sky and deep into the forest.

As the cable car rose slowly, a sparkling bay unfolded below, with Tanka fishing villages scattered across the emerald waters like chess pieces, and the panoramic mountain-and-sea scenery of Nanwan Peninsula stretching into the distance.

Tanka fishing village.

Filipino content creator Kevin Montillano held up his phone, barely daring to blink. “The first glimpse of these fishing villages and the full view of Monkey Islet truly amazed me. The fishing villages are like little villages floating on the sea, and the combination of sea, forest, rafts, and islands creates a very striking scene,” he said. Some leaned close to the window to capture the panorama, others raised their cameras to chase the light on the water, and some kept asking the guide about the seafaring life of the Tanka people—the story of this “floating village” was just as fascinating as the view outside.

Filipino content creators ride the cross-sea cable car.

After the cable car reached the other side, the content creators officially entered the home of the macaques. Nanwan Monkey Islet is China’s only island-type macaque nature reserve, surrounded by sea on three sides and boasting a forest coverage rate of 95 percent. Coconut groves, walking trails, forests, and the bay intertwine to create a tropical ecological space. As soon as they stepped into Monkey Islet Park, the lively macaques stole the show—some leaping through the coconut trees, some foraging casually along the paths, and others squatting in groups under the shade, alert yet completely unfazed.

Four Filipino content creators visit Nanwan Monkey Islet Eco-tourism Area.

Filipino content creators take photos with monkeys at Nanwan Monkey Islet.

“Seeing so many macaques moving freely in their natural environment, undisturbed and with a comfortable distance between humans and animals, creates a very relaxing ecological atmosphere,” said Kevin Montillano. Observing the wild macaques’ natural behaviors up close—diving into the water and splashing in the “Yusheng Pool”—drew bursts of laughter and the sound of camera shutters.

Four Filipino content creators visit Nanwan Monkey Islet Eco-tourism Area.

Filipino content creator Sela Guia could not stop thinking about the Tanka fishing village seen from the cable car. “I never knew there was such a storied community living on the sea. Tanka culture is truly fascinating,” she said. She added that she would capture the spectacular Tanka fishing village, the cross-sea cableway, and the scenery of Monkey Islet, “to show my Filipino followers Hainan’s unique seafaring lifestyle and tropical island landscapes through my lens, so more people can see a different side of Hainan.”

A day in Lingshui offered both the wild vitality of tropical ecology and a glimpse into the seafaring community that has lived on floating villages for centuries. Next, they will head to Sanya, using short videos to tell audiences in the Philippines and ASEAN a more diverse story of Hainan.