Hainan Province is the second largest island off the Chinese mainland. Hainan closer to the mainland, separated only by narrow straights. Hainan is the largest special economic zone of China. Haikou, the provincial capital has a tropical marine climate with an average annual temperature of 20 C (68 F).
Haikou spring is warm with almost drought conditions but the high summer temperatures bring heavy rain in their wake. Autumn is a season of typhoons and rain storms. As a rule, the best time to travel is between November and April. From May to October Haikou weather is moist because of its rainy seasons, with the precipitation reaching a peak during September. As high temperatures warm the waters of the South China Sea from June to September typhoons, are driven toward the coast and Haikou can experience force 8 storms that cause considerable problems for traffic.
Hainan is an ideal place for you to be away from the cold winter. In January and February, the average temperature is 16 C to 24 C, and 25 C to 29 C is in July and August.
Hainan has two major airports. The largest and newest airport is the Haikou Meilan International Airport The airport is located 16 miles away from the center of Haikou, provides a convenient connection between Haikou and other cities within China 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, and Kuala Lumpur.
Airport Shuttle Bus to downtown area, Operating hours: from the first flight to the last flight arrival Duration: 35 minutes Ticket fare: CNY15.
The Sanya Phoenix International Airport serves Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Siberia, Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan. The two airports combined serve more than 70 domestic and international air routes.
Ecological Environment Hainan Island boasts a well-protected natural environment, with forests covering 51.5% of the island. There are five designated tropical primeval forest areas on Hainan Island: Wuzhishan Forest Area, Bawangling Forest Area, Jianfengling Forest Area, Diaoluoshan Forest Area. and Limushan.
Hainan Island was called the Pearl Cliffs (珠崖 Zhūyá), Fine Jade Cliffs (瓊崖 Qióngyá), and the Fine Jade Land (瓊州 Qióngzhōu). The latter two gave rise to the province's abbreviation, Qióng (琼 in Simplified Chinese), referring to the greenery cover on the island.
Hainan first enters written Chinese history in 110 BC, when the Han Dynasty established a military garrison there. The Han people started the movement around that time together with the military and officials to Hainan Island from Mainland China. Among them, there are offspring of those who were banished to Hainan for political reasons. Most of them moved to Hainan Island from places like Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi in the southern part of Mainland China.
Li people are the original inhabitants of Hainan. They are believed to be the descendants of the ancient Yue tribes of China, who settled on the island more than 3,000 years ago. The Li ethnic group of China mainly inhabits the nine cities and counties in the middle and southern part of Hainan - the cities of Sanya, Tongza and Dongfang, the Li autonomous counties of Baisha, Lingshui, Ledong, Changjiang, and the 'Li and Miao Autonomous Counties of Qiongzhong and Baoting'. Some others reside elsewhere on Hainan with other ethnic groups in Danzhou, Wanning, Qionghai and Tunchang.
The area inhabited by the Li ethnic group totals 18,700 square kilometers, about 55 percent of the province's total.
Hainan Island offers an unforgettable paradise for tourists. You are greeted upon arrival by blue skies, white clouds, bright sunshine, as well as a long coastline with many bays, white sandy beaches, coconut scenery, a geothermal hot spring, cultural relics, rare animals and plants, and the charming surrounding seas.
A.E. Saviqnac, former Secretary General of the World Tourist Organization, commenting on his visit, “Hainan is a beautiful pearl of China, possessing the most precious resources of China. Hainan is to China as the Mediterranean is to Europe and Hawaii and Florida are to America”.Francesco Frangialli, the Secretary General of the World Tourist Organization, also set a high value on Hainan during his visit.
- 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. Tropical Ocean World Known as the first big tropical and oceanic theme park in China, in Haikou City is a paradise to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of tropical rain forests and view wonders of ocean life.
- Shimei Bay is a place with tropical sunlight, wide open sea and mysterious and alluring primitive scenes.
- 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.