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Friday, May 31, 2013

Sightseeings in Haikou, Hainan

Haikou, the capital city of Hainan Province, is home to elegant seascape and historical sites as well as dozens of newly-developed tourist regions and attractions.


The Temple of Five Lords (Five Officials' Temple or Wugong Ci in Chinese) was built in memory of five historical celebrities of the Tang and Song dynasties who lived within Hainan Province. The temple is actually a more like a building complex and is praised as 'the No. 1 Building in Hainan'.

Tomb of Hai Rui is the tomb for Hai Rui, an upright official from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Hainan-born Hai Rui punished treacherous court officials campaigned for the rights of common people. Hai Rui was an official of incorruptible integrity, an outstanding politician, and has been greatly respected by the generations who followed.

Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Natural Reserve Area, located in Qiongshan District, Haikou, is a good heaven for mangroves and birds. About 159 species of birds inhabit the reserve, including many rare migratory birds.


Qiongtai Academy was established in 1705 in memory of Qiu Jun, a famous scholar during the Ming Dynasty. Its main building is a two-storey structure of typical Chinese brick-and-wood construction.

Wugong Temple, Haikou
Wugong Temple
As one of the renowned sights in Hainan, Dongjiao Coconut Plantation boasts an elegant and scenic environment. As its name indicates, it holds all sorts of coconut trees, such as red coconut, high coconut, water coconut and blue coconut, etc. With its own beach, sand sports and water sports can also be done here. The shallow sea of the area is also full of lobsters, prawns, groupers and abalones. This scenic spot attracts numerous tourists to its unique combination of coconut and sea, local cuisine, and species of seafood.

Holiday Beach, west of Haikou City, has beautiful natural and man-made scenery. Verdant plants, autumnal breezes, pure sand, sparkling seawater and fine sunlight create a sweet and appealing picture. Here the beach is divided into four functional regions (ranging form east to west): Sports District, Ocean Dining District, Beach Sunbathing District and Relaxation & Holiday District. Concentrating on aquatic sports, beach sports, and tourist attractions Holiday Beach embodies everything expected of an international seaside tourist city.

Shimei Bay is a place with tropical sunlight, wide open sea and mysterious and alluring primitive scenes. The bay contains a beach where six kilometers of long white sand is smooth and soft to walk on and the seawater is so clear you can see the bottom. A short distance away by sea is an island, Jiajing Island, covered with lush and vibrant plants. Under the water surrounding the island lives a rainbow of colorful corals. The area is a paradise for scuba diving enthusiasts. The farmhouse villages of Li People are found scattered around the island, where they can be found still their primitive life cultivating and fishing.
Beautiful Beach in Haikou
Beautiful Beach
Coconut Trees in Haikou
Coconut Trees in the City
Ma'an Ling Volcanic Vent, one of the most well-preserved extinct volcanic vents in the world, is called the 'Natural Volcano Museum of China' by geologists. The south and north peaks rise highly while the area between them sinks down deeply, resulting in a shape that has given the volcanic vent the name of Ma'an Ling (Saddle Mountain).

Nanli Lake is another famous scenic site of the city. Take a boat on the lake, tourists will feel refreshed and relaxed. There are 13 islands of varied shapes and five peninsulas covered by lush trees and pretty flowers in the lake.

In addition to the fascinating sights above, the area's parks and zoos are also worth a visit. These include the People's Park, Jinniu (Golden Ox) Ling Park, Binhai Park, and Tropical Safari Park.

Attraction around the city:
Five Finger Mountain
The Five Finger Mountain (Wuzhi Shan) is situated in Wuzhishan City, near Haikou. A visit to the mountain will reward people wonders of high peak, impressive waterfalls and customs of Miao and Li minorities.

Shopping in Hainan


At the southernmost tip of China’s territory, Haiman Province faces Guangdong Province across the Qiongzhou Strait. Once a desolate and uninhabited place though, Hainan has become a tourist hot spot nowadays. When you are in Haikou, enjoying the comfortable life and pleasant weather in this coastal city, or when you indulge yourself in the tropical scenery of Sanya with vblue sky, white cloud, blue sea and sandy beaches…you can not miss the specialties there. Hainan abounds in tropical fruits, such as coconut, durian, longan and lychee, as well as Zhegu Tea in Wenchang, Akoya pearls in the Dadong Sea, crystal handicrafts in Tunchang and Handicrafts made by the Li and Miao nationalities.
  
                                                     Shopping in Haikou The provincial capital Haikou is a modern cosmopolitan coastal city, situated in the north of Hianan Province. Handicrafts and souvenirs with characteristics of Hainan are recommended, though fashionable and inexpensive clothes and daily commodities are also available.
Famous Streets
-Haixiu Avenue
Haixiu Avenue, near Haikou Hotel, is the most bustling shopping avenue in Haikou. There stand not only large department stores, but also exquisitely decorated jewelry and souvenir stores. Akoya pearls, crystal, hawksbill turtles, all these specialties of Hainan are available here. You’d better bargain about the price and keep company someone who knows the business.
Address: Near Haikou Hotel
-Bailong Wholesale Fruit Market
Bailong Wholesale Fruit Market deals in tropical and sub-tropical fruits with vast variety but low prices, such as coconuts and star fruits. Your journey will prove worthwhile only if you come to this market and have a taste of those fruits that not common in daily life.
Address: North Bailing Road
-Dongmen Market
Dongmen Market specializes in seafood and dried marine products, etc. Address: East Xinmin Road
-Deshengsha Road Pedestrian Shopping Street
Deshengsha Road Pedestrian Shopping Street specializes in low and medium-grade clothes and ornaments.
Address: Deshengsha Road
Recommended Commodities
Haikou is famous for its coffee and coconut related food, which serve to be desirable presents for friends and relatives.
                                                  Shopping in Sanya
Major shopping areas in Sanya are close to scenic areas like Dadong Sea and Tianya-haijiao (end of the earth and corner of the sea), and around Jiefang Road within the city, among which are Tiancheng Department Store, Shida Department Store, and Sanlian Plaza. There are mainly several markets of farm produces, including Hongqi Market, Oriental Market, and a market specialized in Hong Kong  Commodities, where you can find inexpensive but good quality local specialties and dried marine products.