During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), Sanya was known as Jiyang and later as Yazhou. The Big and Small Caves stone ship memorial carving has a history of more than 800 years.

The ancient Chinese school of Taoism mentions ten large caves, thirty six small caves and seventy two paradises. From the time of the Tang (618-907 A.D.) and Song (960-1209 A.D.) dynasties, because of the former residence of the immortal Shenxian the big and small caves became world-renowned.

According to Chinese legend, there are three “islands of the immortals” located somewhere in the South China Sea. These are called Penglai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang. Over the centuries, the islands have attracted the attention of many Taoists. According to Song Dynasty historical records, during the Southern Song period, the Taoist Bai Zhuchan liked the Nanshan area and returned to build a temple from which he could disseminate Taoist culture and philosophy.

Today, within this scenic area, the altar of the immortals is preserved as well as other historic remains along with sketches, poetry and literature from the time of the Southern Song dynasty. During that time, Mao Kui, governor of the region, because of his passion for landscapes, developed the area and increased the number of visitors. He also left carved inscriptions on the stones.