Haikou boasts beautiful scenery, numerous historical sites, and a relatively concentrated collection of tourist attractions. These include the Wugong Temple, known as "Hainan's No. 1 Building," the tomb of Hai Rui, a Ming Dynasty official, and the enchanting Holiday Beach. Near the city center, you'll also find the internationally renowned Qiongtai Academy, the breathtaking Ma'anshan Crater, and the Dongzhaigang mangroves, where at high tide a "sea forest" appears—all of which promise to enrich a visit to Haikou with a sense of interest and novelty. Furthermore, the emergence of renowned scenic spots such as the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and the Crater National Geopark underscores Haikou's development into a multifunctional, integrated national tropical coastal tourism and leisure destination, integrating sightseeing, vacations, recreation, wellness, business conferences, and cultural entertainment.
China's only coastal tropical volcano in an urban area is also Hainan Province's first world-class tourist attraction. The park's geological heritage primarily consists of a Quaternary volcanic cluster of 40 volcanoes, resembling a natural volcanic geological museum. The iconic Ma'anling Crater, nestled among ancient banyan trees, wild pineapples, and tropical fruit groves, showcases the unparalleled charm of the volcano.
This is China's only natural museum that offers a panoramic view of the island's tropical rainforest ecosystem, showcasing the essence of Hainan Island's flora and fauna. Entering the park is like entering a natural "oxygen bar," and touring it is like taking a wonderful "forest bath."
The area is renowned for its mangroves, known as the "Forest Park on the Sea," the world's geological wonder "Undersea Village," rare bird species, and abundant seafood. Wild Pineapple Island, located within the area, offers a picturesque setting. Its uniquely shaped wild pineapple groves stretch out to shade the sun, and a scenic trail has been built, offering boat tours to the island.
This is Haikou's most distinctive streetscape, with the oldest structure, the Four Archways, dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty. The old streets are primarily located along Deshengsha Road, Xinhua South Road, Zhongshan Road, Boai Road, and Jiefang Road in the city center. They are lined with nearly century-old arcades, imbued with the charm of Southeast Asian architecture. Despite the passage of over a century, strolling along Haikou's arcade-style streets still offers a glimpse into the beauty of the architecture.
In the old days, Deshengsha Road was home to foreign businesses, teahouses, hotels, warehouses, and theaters. It was quite prosperous in those days. There's also a memorial hall dedicated to Madam Xian (commonly known as the "Madam Xian Temple") on the street.
Traditional tailor shops, various clothing and shoe stores, teahouses, and snack shops are all doing a booming business. The "Jiefang Cinema," built in the style of the 1960s and 1970s, still uses billboards in regular script to attract customers.
Zhongshan Road is a street of hardware and lighting, with arcades and rows of neon advertisements. It is now mainly a commercial street for Wenzhou people.
Street shops sell home appliances, small commodities, clothing, flowers, gifts, and more, creating a vibrant atmosphere of life. Running through Boai Road are the East and West Gate Markets. The East Gate is home to a seafood and dried goods market, while the West Gate is an antique street lined with antique stalls of all sizes.
Also known as "Hainan's First Building," this wooden complex commemorates five officials who were demoted to Haikou during the Tang and Song dynasties. The stone carvings of the five officials within the shrine are lifelike, their faces brimming with emotion. Here, you can learn about the ancient culture of demoted officials, Hainan's history and culture, and explore Hainan's ancient architecture.
The architecture of Hai Rui's cemetery is solemn and simple. There is a towering stone archway at the main gate with the words "Yuedong Zhengqi" engraved in large red characters. The tomb passage is more than 100 meters long and is paved with granite. On both sides stand stone sculptures of stone men, stone sheep, stone horses, stone lions, stone turtles and other stone sculptures.
Qiongtai Academy exemplifies the architectural style of Lingnan. Its main building, the Kuixing Tower, is a well-preserved brick-and-wood structure with green tiles and red corridors. The story of the traditional Qiong Opera "Searching for the Academy" takes place here, and the play brought Qiongtai Academy fame both domestically and internationally.
The bell tower faces the estuary, with Zhongshan Heng Street and Zhongshan Road opposite to the south and Haidian Creek to the north. It is nestled between the street and the water, with a graceful silhouette and a very elegant scenery.
The museum displays over a thousand cultural relics, divided into three sections: historical relics, modern and contemporary relics, and ethnic relics. These exhibits highlight the unique characteristics of Hainan, its ethnic groups, and its border areas, allowing visitors to understand Hainan's history and current situation in an entertaining way.
The long beach overlooks the boundless Qiongzhou Strait, often bustling with sailboats. The sprawling open-air seafood barbecue plaza is bustling with activity in the evenings. Nearby are the Aristocratic Yacht Club and several luxury hotels. Along Holiday Beach, a wide, clean coastal promenade offers a pleasant stroll in the breeze. In the evening, you can enjoy the live performance of "Impression of Hainan Island" at the theater east of the beach.
For Haikou, a tiny provincial capital, Wanlv Park is a prime location. Its vastness is truly breathtaking, with thousands of acres of lawn stretching as far as the eye can see. Nearly 10,000 tropical trees, primarily coconut palms, line the coastal roads, creating a lush, tropical landscape. Early mornings and evenings are the busiest times of the day, with people exercising everywhere.
The park boasts lush greenery year-round, beautiful scenery, and is renowned as a "Haikou Scenic Spot." The Golden Bull Waterfall is the symbol of Jinniuling Park. Upon entering, one gazes upward to see a giant, shimmering golden bull, its hooves firmly planted on the rocky summit. Clear water flows eastward, cascading over the rocky mountain, forming the Golden Bull Waterfall.
Xixiu Beach has clear waters and has been designated by the State Sports Commission as a national-level sailing winter training base. Athletes from many countries and regions also come here to train and compete, making Xixiu Beach Park famous both at home and abroad.
Two of the most distinctive attractions in the Guilinyang Coastal Tourist Area are the Seaside Swimming Pool and the Thai Flower and Fruit Garden. The waters at the Seaside Swimming Pool are cleaner than those on Haikou's west coast, with no sharks or reefs, making it an ideal swimming and leisure destination. The Thai Flower and Fruit Garden offers a unique blend of Thai agricultural tourism, offering accommodation, dining, and recreational facilities. Visitors can enjoy the unique flowers and fruits of the area, savor the Thai atmosphere, and experience a refreshing return to nature.
The largest park in Haikou City, located in the city center, is an open park with more than 1,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants planted in the park. It is almost a tropical botanical garden.
Boao boasts Asia's only spectacular seascape, and the Boao Oriental Culture Garden is a tangible mirage. The Oriental Culture Garden is Boao's cultural symbol and the perfect spot to learn about Hainan's humanities and geography.