Songs are to the heart what words are to the mind. If you were to ask someone what song comes to their mind when they think of Hainan, many would mention the joyful, enthusiastic song “Come on Down to Tianya Haijiao”, a song that is filled with tropical imagery and extols the hearty, honest and welcoming nature of the island’s locals. Many people first came to learn about Hainan through this song, and it is this song that has inspired just as many people to go and experience Sanya’s Tianya Haijiao - a beautiful, bouldered bay - for themselves.

In addition to the more widely-known version of the song, composed by Xu Dongwei and sung by Shen Xiaocen, there is another version – by renowned composer Xie Wenjing – that few people outside Hainan have ever heard. Having spent many years soaking up culture from Hainan’s various places and peoples, Xie Wenjing naturally incorporated elements of Li folk music – such as the rhythm of the ‘bamboo dance’ – into the song, while also incorporating new sounds from Hong Kong* and Taiwanese rock music. In terms of the Hainan music scene, Xie Wenjing’s “Come on Down to Tianya Haijiao” was a turning point.

Some pleasures are fleeting, while others turn into a passion. Lyrics and melodies go together, just like bread and butter, and without them, life would not be complete. But just like different varieties of bread, songs come in a range of different flavors. And just like life itself, new versions of songs are born while others fade from memory. In this installment of “Hainan Stories with Cai Pa”, Cai Pa sings her own interpretation of the song “Come on Down to Tianya Haijiao” in the Hainanese dialect. As you listen to the melody, allow yourself to be transported back into your own past and let memories of better times wash over you.

*‘Hong Kong’ refers to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China’