Hainan 海南Hǎinán

About Hainan

Hainan is China's tropical island, warm enough in winter to draw people from the frozen north to the beaches and resort bays around Sanya. Inland, forested mountains shelter rainforest reserves and villages of the Li people, whose brocade weaving is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Haikou, the capital, keeps streets of arcaded qilou shophouses from its years as a busy trading port.

Hainan at a glance

Area

33,920 km²

Population

10.1 million 2020

Highest point

Wuzhi Mountain 五指山1,840 m

Borders

Guangdong, Guangxi

Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.

What to eat in Hainan

• Wenchang chicken (文昌鸡)
• Hainan rice noodles (海南粉)
• Qingbuliang coconut dessert soup (清补凉)

Places to visit in Hainan

• 

  Sanya Beaches 三亚

  China's tropical south coast, where winter is beach season

  Best time: Nov–Apr · Time needed: 2–3 days · 4A scenic area

Listed sites in Hainan

70 sites in Hainan are on the official lists, 7 of them rated 5A and 26 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.

Cities and prefectures of Hainan

• Baisha 白沙 Li Autonomous County
  Tea terraces and rainforest in the Li uplands
• Baoting 保亭 Li and Miao Autonomous County
  Rainforest streams, hot springs and Li and Miao culture just north of Sanya
• Changjiang 昌江 Li Autonomous County
  Iron-ore town, rocky bays and the only forest of the Hainan gibbon
• Chengmai 澄迈 County
  Coffee town, twin stone pagodas and a clan village of volcanic-stone houses
• Danzhou 儋州 City · Nada
  Where the exiled poet Su Dongpo taught, in Hainan's north-west
• Ding'an 定安 County
  Old county-town walls and a Taoist peak tied to the legend of Pangu
• Dongfang 东方 County-level City
  Sun-baked western coast with a karst ridge and a rosewood valley
• Haikou 海口 City
  Arcaded old streets, a field of volcanoes and Hainan's northern port
• Ledong 乐东 Li Autonomous County
  Rainforest, salt pans and a long farming coast in the south-west
• Lingao 临高 County
  A fishing coast with its own language, songs and roast suckling pig
• Lingshui 陵水 Li Autonomous County
  Monkeys, a diving island and Lingshui's sour rice noodles
• Qionghai 琼海 County-level City
  The Wanquan River's mouth, the Boao Forum and Hainan's famous duck
• Qiongzhong 琼中 Li and Miao Autonomous County
  Rainforest highlands around Limu Mountain, the Li people's mother mountain
• Sansha 三沙 City
• Sanya 三亚 City
  Hainan's southern beach resort, and once the far end of the empire
• Tunchang 屯昌 County
  Hill farms and a fragrance garden in the middle of the island
• Wanning 万宁 County-level City
  Surf bays, wok-roasted coffee and returned overseas Chinese
• Wenchang 文昌 County-level City
  Coconut palms, overseas-Chinese houses and a spaceport on the coast
• Wuzhishan 五指山 County-level City
  Highland city of the Li, named for Hainan's highest mountain

Before you go

• Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
• Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
• Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
• Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
• Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
• When to go When is the best time to visit China?

On the map

Open Hainan on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)