Cities>Haikou, Hainan

City Guide:HaiKou 

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1.General introduction

3.Education & Health care

  Location &  Climate

  Schools

  Ecomomy & Industry

  Hospitals

2.Transportation

4.Recreation

  Rail

  Shopping

  Bus

  Cuisine

  Air

  Attraction


  Nightlife

1. General introduction

    Haikou is the capital and most populous city of Hainan province, China. It is 

situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The 

northern part of the city is the district of Haidian Island, which is separated 

from the main part of Haikou by the Haidian River, a branch of the Nandu.

Administratively, Haikou is a prefecture-level city, comprising four districts, 

and covering 2,280 square kilometres (880 sqm). There are 2,046,189 inhabitants 

in the built up area all living within the 4 urban districts of the city.

Haikou was originally a port city. Today, more than half of the island's total 

trade still goes through its ports. The city is home to Hainan University, which 

has its main campus on Haidian Island.

Location & population

    Haikou is the capital and most populous city of Hainan province, China. It is 

situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The 

northern part of the city is the district of Haidian Island, which is separated 

from the main part of Haikou by the Haidian River, a branch of the Nandu.

Administratively, Haikou is a prefecture-level city, comprising four districts, 

and covering 2,280 square kilometres (880 sq mi). There are 2,046,189 inhabitants

in the built up area all living within the 4 urban districts of the city.

Haikou was originally a port city. Today, more than half of the island's total 

trade still goes through its ports. The city is home to Hainan University, which 

has its main campus on Haidian Island.

Climate

    Haikou being China’s only tropical island has generally great weather year round.

April to October is the active period for tropical storms and typhoons, most of which 

occur between August and September. May to October is the rainy season with the 

heaviest rainfall occurring in September. Despite its location, the city has a 

humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a tropical climate, with strong 

monsoonal influences. Nevertheless, the area has hot summers and warm winters, 

usually with high humidity.

Economy & industry

    The GDP per capita was $3,573 USD in 2008, ranked number 43 among 659 Chinese

cities. In 2011, the city's GDP reached 71.3 billion yuan, amounting to about 30 

percent of the province's total. Haikou exports substantial quantities of 

agricultural produce and livestock. There is a small amount of industry, including 

canning, textiles, rice hulling, and light engineering.

    Hainan Airlines has its headquarters in the HNA Building in Haikou. Automotive 

manufacturer, Haima Automobile also has its global headquarters here. The Haikou 

Free Trade Zone is also located in the city.

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2. Transportation

Railway

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    There are three train stations in this city at present, including Haikou 

Railway station, East Railway Station and Meilan Airport Railway Station. People 

can leave the city by train for Guangzhou, Sanya, Shanghai South and Beijing West. 

Air

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    Haikou Meilan Airport, 25 kilometers (16 miles) away from the city center, 

provides a convenient connection with other cities at home and abroad. It has more 

than 200 air lines flying between major cities inside China such as Beijing, 

Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang, Wuhan, Dalian, Xiamen, Xian, Chengdu, 

Harbin, Qingdao and Nanjing, etc., as well as direct flights to Hong Kong, 

Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and so forth.

3. Education & Health care

International Schools

Several major educational institutions are located in Haikou:

•Hainan University has its main campus on Haikou's Haidian Island, with the South 

China Tropical Agricultural University, now part of the university, located in the 

southern part of the city.

•Hainan Normal University is the oldest institution for higher learning. It has an 

enrolment of more than 20,000, including approximately 200 foreigner students, and 

has recently constructed a new campus in Guilinyang, just outside of Haikou.

•Hainan Medical College, founded in 1993, offers degrees in medicine. It is located 

in the southern part of the city.

•Qiongzhou University is located in Qiongshan District.

•Haikou College of Economics, located by Guoxing Road, with a new campus in Guilinyang.

•Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences is located across the road from 

Hainan Medical College.

•Hainan Middle School is considered one of the most prestigious middle schools 

in Hainan. Its main gate is located a few metres from the east gate of Hainan 

Normal University.

Hospitals

A relatively small city by Chinese standards, Haikou still has a decent amount 

of hospitals and medical clinics. Most star hotels contain medical clinics:

Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College

No.31 Longhua Road Haikou City Hainan Province

0898-66788120/66772248

Haikou People's Hospital

No.43 Haidian island Haikou City Hainan Province

0898-66189688/66189689

Haikou Women And Children Hospital

No.6 Wentan Road Guoxin Avenue Haikou City Hainan Province

0898-65222333/65222666

Hainan Provincial people's hospital

NO.19 xiuhua Road xiuying District haikou city Hainan Province 0898-66226666

Hainan women and children's Hospital and health institute

No.15 LongKun South Road Haikou City Hainan Province

0898-66789460

4. Recreation

Shopping

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    Haikou is the commercial center of Hainan Province, and as such goods from around 

the whole island gather here. In addition to the Le Pu Sheng Emporium, the No.1 

Department Store, and Shengsheng department store, new shopping centers are 

developing rapidly in this area. Traditional folk trade markets are also available 

to shop and cultivate local customs.

    Using local materials, Hainan's featured artwork and souvenir are created with an 

ocean theme, rural style and national flavor. Generally there are about ten 

categories, into which fall over a hundred different kinds of products that are 

created to appeal to tourists. These categories are:

Pearl

    There are many shops within Hainan that sell many kinds of pearls, but the seawater 

pearl is the specialty of Hainan Province. If you are interested in purchasing 

pearls, to avoid the risk of imitations you are best to buy in larger jewelry 

stores.

Crystal

    These glistening gems are very popular among young girls. DIY shops allow you to 

use your imagination and create your own unique gift for your friends.

Li Brocade

    This is a featured cloth handmade by the Li people using cotton inside the capsule 

of kapok. Particularly renowned during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), 

the Li Brocade is China's oldest cotton textile. The Li Brocade includes a column 

skirt, headband, bed sheet, quilt and so on. Designs of flowers, grass, animals and 

human beings are exquisitely made.

Coconut Shell Sculpture

    These sculptures are carved on coconut shells into various figures including cute 

babies, delicate key buckles, tea boxes, pigs, and other craftwork such as pictures. 

Remember to bring one home!

Seashell

    The DC Department Store on Haixiu Road is worth a visit. Local shell-made wind 

bells and toys cost very little but are definitely distinctive local folk 

artworks. Be sure to handle the damageable shell craftworks with care.

Pepper

    Hainan abounds in pepper, black pepper and white pepper. They can be divided into 

pepper pellets and finished pepper. The pepper is not only used as seasoning but 

also as a stomach-warming ingredient.

Cultural souvenirs of the Li Minority are also sold in big shopping malls. They 

are very unique and distinctive gifts for friends and family.

Where to Buy

    Haixiu Avenue is the most bustling commercial street in the city. The tourist 

souvenir shops around the Haikou Hotel also converge at this avenue.

Getting There: Bus No.9, 17, 24

Dongmen (East Gate) Market: gathering place for dried seafood, a tasty present 

for friends and families.

    Wholesale Fruit Market: on Bailong South Road you will not want to miss the 

tropical fruits of Hainan Province. Products for sale include mangos, pineapples, 

jackfruits, coconuts, betel nuts, pawpaw, longan and lichee, loquat, naseberry, 

passionflower, wampee, carambola, etc. Many of these products are unique to Hainan, 

and are seldom found in other areas. In addition, if you are courageous enough, 

try a taste of Liu Lian (civet durian), the king of tropical fruit. It has an 

offensive odor but a very pleasant taste!

Getting There: Bus No.3, 11, 16

Here are some of the large local shopping malls which feature commodities such 

as clothes, home appliances, jewelry, and artworks.

No. 1 Department Store of Hainan: Waihai Shopping Center, No.8, Haixiu Road

Sheng Sheng Department Store: Zhujiang Square, Binhai Avenue

DC Department Store: No.10, Haixiu Avenue

Le Pu Sheng Emporium: No.7, Haixiu Road

Tailong Department Store: No.4, Datong Road

Tourist Street: Haixiu East Road

Nightlife

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    Bars and KTV are patronized until after midnight. There are also growing numbers

of bars and clubs, as well as Western style restaurants popping up around the city. 

Word of mouth through fellow expats in the city is the best way to find bars and 

restaurants more suited to personal taste. Up until 2015, roadside BBQ sites were 

common throughout the city. A massive 2015 campaign to clean up the city prohibited 

them. Few remain but can still be found dotted around the city. These are often part 

of daytime restaurants, but are more typically mobile restaurants wheeled out to the 

roadside. They usually comprise several round tables, plastic patio chairs, and a 

restaurant setup consisting of a display table for the prepared items and a long 

metal trough used for barbecuing. Most items for sale are prepared on skewers, with 

tinfoil bags of shellfish also being served. Patrons drink local beer in large 

bottles. These businesses operate from around nine pm to five am every night.

Cuisine

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    Seafood is the most prominent cuisine on the menu in Haikou (as well as the rest 

of Hainan), as shrimp, crab, fish and other sea life are widely available. Wenchang 

chicken is a dish known throughout the province also. Although there are many 

varieties of this dish, the name is usually used to define a type of small, 

free-range chicken from Wenchang, located on the east coast of the province. As 

opposed to battery chickens, its meat has more texture and is somewhat drier.

Hainan chicken rice is a famous dish in Southeast Asia bearing the region's name. 

However, whilst many restaurants use chicken fat to quickly add flavour to the dish, 

the proper local method is to 'marinate' the rice with chicken soup to add a more 

full flavour.

Attractions

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    The Bo’ai Road historical area is located on the south side of the Haidian River, 

at the northern part of mainland Haikou. Much of the area comprises arcade style, 

dilapidated buildings with European fusion-type architectural facades with Indian 

and Arabic influences. The buildings are almost all painted white, and are usually 

no more than a few storeys tall. The eastern part of the area is mainly residential. 

The western part contains hubs for such items as exotic foods, pets, and fabrics. 

The building facades and roads have been restored in parts of the area, Zhongshan 

Road being the most notable.

    Several large public buildings now occupy Guoxing Road, the new area for arts 

and culture. These include the Hainan Provincial Museum, the Hainan Provincial 

Library, and the Hainan Centre for the Performing Arts. These are all located near 

to one another on the south side of the road, west of Haikou College of Economics, 

Haikou campus.

    At the west side of Evergreen Park is the Haikou Great Hall of the People, 

a concert hall, and HainanExhibition & Convention Center, a large centre for trade 

shows and other commercial events. Haikou City Stadium, is the main venue for sports 

events, and is located at the southeast corner of Evergreen Park.

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