Park of ChinaOverview
| Province | Hainan |
| Location | Hainan |
| Latitude, longitude | 20.04, 110.32 Google Maps |
| Nearby cities | Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shenzhen |
| Nearby sites | Huguangyan 123km, Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park 143km, Tropical Coast of Sanya 220km, Kaiping Diaolou and Villages 352km, West Mountain of Guiping 373km Search nearby |
| Themes | City, Ancient Building, Modern-era architecture, Homes & tombs of notable people |
About
Haikou is the capital of Hainan, on the north coast of Hainan Island, facing the Leizhou Peninsula of Guangdong across the Qiongzhou Strait; the Nandu River reaches the sea on its north-east side. The city has four districts: Xiuying, Longhua, Qiongshan and Meilan.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties Haikou was the port of the prefectural town of Qiongzhou (today Fucheng in Qiongshan District); after it was opened to foreign trade in the nineteenth century it grew into Hainan's main port. When Hainan became a province in 1988, Haikou became its capital. The climate is tropical, with warm winters.
Main sights
Qilou Old Street: the arcaded shophouses along Zhongshan Road and Bo'ai Road, mostly built in the early twentieth century with a Southeast Asian look; the heart of the old town.
Five Officials Memorial Temple: in the south-east of the city, honouring five officials of the Tang and Song dynasties who were exiled to Hainan; next to it is a hall for the poet Su Shi.
Tomb of Hai Rui: in the west of the city, the tomb of the Ming official Hai Rui.
Volcanic Crater Park: the Ma'anling craters around Shishan town, south-west of the city, part of the Leiqiong UNESCO Global Geopark.
Dongzhai Harbour mangroves: a bay east of the city around Yanfeng town with large mangrove forests, a national nature reserve.
Fucheng: the old prefectural town of Qiongzhou in Qiongshan District, with old streets and temples.
Travel tips
Getting there: Meilan International Airport, south-east of the city, has many domestic flights. The round-island high-speed railway runs through Haikou; Sanya is about one and a half to two hours away on the eastern line. Ferries cross the Qiongzhou Strait from Xuwen in Guangdong, and there is also a train ferry.
In the city: the old town (Qilou Old Street, the Five Officials Memorial Temple) is walkable; the crater park and Dongzhai Harbour are farther out and best reached by car or bus.
Time: the city's sights take a day or two; Haikou is often combined with Sanya, Wenchang and Qionghai.
Season: winter and spring are warm and the time to escape the cold; summer and autumn are hot and wet, and roughly July to October is typhoon season, so watch the forecast.
Nearby
| National parks of China | Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park 144km |
| National parks | Huguangyan 123km, Tropical Coast of Sanya 220km |
| AAAAA attractions | Fenjiezhou Island Tourist Area 163km, Weizhou Island Nanwan Crocodile Hill Scenic Area 169km, Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourist Area 190km, Areca Valley Li and Miao Culture Tourist Area 195km |
| AAAA attractions | Hainan Provincial Museum 5km, Hai Rui Cultural Park 5km, Holiday Beach 8km, Leiqiong Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark, China 19km, Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Tourism Area 26km, Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden 31km |
| UNESCO Global Geoparks | Leiqiong UNESCO Global Geopark 19km |
| Historic cities | Qiongshan 5km, Haikang 100km |
| Historical sites | Site of the First Congress of the CCP Qiongya <1km, Xiuying Fort 3km, Wugong Shrine 4km, Former Residence and Tomb of Qiu Jun 4km, Tomb of Hai Rui 5km, Zhuyailing City Site 17km |
| National geoparks | Haikou Shishan Volcano Cluster National Geopark 19km |
| Nature reserves | Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve 24km, Tongguling National Nature Reserve 83km, Yinggeling National Nature Reserve 139km, Wuzhishan National Nature Reserve 143km, Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve 146km |
| Historic towns | Puqian Town 26km, Dingcheng Town 40km |