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Haikou's inviting beachside location has attracted residents from all over the world who appreciate its laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. Its streets are filled with mouth-watering aromas from morning to night, as different food stalls open and shut throughout the day. You're certainly in no danger of going hungry with this array of delicious food on offer.
1/tab.galleryImage.size}Enjoy Haikou’s laidback city vibes and its proximity to tropical nature parks and Hainan ‘s pristine beaches further south
2/tab.galleryImage.size}Visit the majestic Tomb of Hai Rui in western Haikou, a minister from the Ming Dynasty loved by the people for his fair practices
3/tab.galleryImage.size}Explore Qilou Street, Haikou’s historic Old Town which is distinctive for its unique mix of European-Chinese architecture
4/tab.galleryImage.size}Climb up into the mouth of a long extinct volcano at Haikou’s Shishan Crater Cluster National Park
5/tab.galleryImage.size}Cross the Nandu River on the monumental Haikou Century Bridge which links Haikou City with the Hainan Island
6/tab.galleryImage.size}Take a tour of the Five Ministers Temple to experience an important and ancient Haikou site, traditional architecture and beautiful gardens
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Enjoy Haikou’s laidback city vibes and its proximity to tropical nature parks and Hainan ‘s pristine beaches further south
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Visit the majestic Tomb of Hai Rui in western Haikou, a minister from the Ming Dynasty loved by the people for his fair practices
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Explore Qilou Street, Haikou’s historic Old Town which is distinctive for its unique mix of European-Chinese architecture
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Climb up into the mouth of a long extinct volcano at Haikou’s Shishan Crater Cluster National Park
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Cross the Nandu River on the monumental Haikou Century Bridge which links Haikou City with the Hainan Island
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Take a tour of the Five Ministers Temple to experience an important and ancient Haikou site, traditional architecture and beautiful gardens
Things to do
We've chosen the must-see highlights of this fantastic city.
We've chosen the must-see highlights of this fantastic city.
See
Hainan Provincial Museum
To get an overview of the island's history and culture, visit the Hainan Provincial Museum just east of Hainan's Cultural Park. Exhibits include dioramas depicting village life of earliest Hainan civilizations and relics recovered from the shipwreck of Huaguangjiao One, a Song Dynasty (1127-1279) Chinese merchant vessel discovered in 1996.
Located 15 kilometres south-west of Haikou and accessible by rented bicycles, the Shishan Volcanic Cluster National Geopark covers about 11,000 hectares. The UNESCO-listed park includes more than 40 dormant volcanoes. At the Maanling Crater Scenic Area, visitors can descend into one of the largest craters. There's also a chance to glimpse lava-rock formations, volcanic tunnels and, thanks to the rich, fertile volcanic soil and Chinese agricultural traditions, glimmering terraced rice fields.
Over the centuries, Hainan Island has played host to highly distinguished – if somewhat reluctant – guests, including banished writers and political reformers. Located amid manicured gardens just south-east of the city, the Ming-era (1368-1644) Five Officials Memorial Temple commemorates officials once exiled to Hainan, with an adjacent temple honouring poet Su Shi.
The 900-year-old village of Rongtang is situated near the entrance of a lava cave system, where homes, walls, roads, shrines and tombs are all made from volcanic rock. A highlight is the ruins of the Rufu Pagoda, one of Hainan's oldest structures, built entirely of volcanic rock in a style more common to India.
Location
North of Shishan Town
See
Tomb of Hai Rui
The tomb of Hai Rui is dedicated to a famous exile who is remembered as an upstanding government official. It was built in 1589 on a plot of about half a hectare. Today it is rated as a key national cultural relic preservation of Hainan Province.
Location
39 Qiu Hai Da Dao
Eat
Fule Chicken Restaurant
Hainan is known for its "four famous dishes" – Wenchang chicken, Dongshan mutton, Jiaji duck and Hele crab – each named after its village of origin. A good place to savour Wenchang chicken in Haikou is Fule Chicken Restaurant, which has four branches.
North of the main Shishan park is Shishan Town and the Seventy-Two Cave Lava Tunnel Protected Area. The lava tunnel measures 20 metres wide by 15 metres high and is hundreds of metres long. Nearby are several ancient villages with buildings made largely of volcanic rock, including a five-storey watchtower in Meishe Village. It was built as a defence against bandit raids and later took on damage by artillery fire during the Japanese invaders, marks that are still visible today.
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