Sanya sunrise times: 5:50-6:10am in summer, 6:30-7:00am in winter. Best shooting window: 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after sunrise (the golden 30 minutes). Sanya's east coast is short, and most sunrise spots are inside paid attractions — you'll need to arrive before official opening.
4 photo spots: ① Sunrise Rock on Wuzhizhou Island (best on-island sunrise spot; requires an overnight stay since the first ferry is 7:30am); ② Sunrise Rock at Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park (ticket + buggy; opens 5:30am, in time for sunrise); ③ Haitang Bay beach (any hotel beach works; free; depart by 4:50am); ④ Sea Guanyin at Nanshan Temple (Guanyin silhouette + sunrise; requires a morning-service ticket; opening at 6:00am sometimes misses it — check ahead).
Shooting tips: ① Heavy morning mist before sunrise — bring a wide-angle and polarizing filter; ② Silhouettes: pose someone doing yoga/kissing/arms-wide against the sun, expose for the sun; ③ Water reflections: find shallow water or wet sand at low tide for stronger reflections; ④ Once the sun fully clears the horizon, light hardens — pack up; ⑤ Bring a windbreaker — seaside mornings run 5-8°C cooler than midday; ⑥ On cloudy days, switch to "sunburst through clouds" — light pillars through cloud gaps make for stunning shots.