Haikou is the capital and most populous city of the Chinese province of Hainan. Haikou city is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The northern part of the city is on the 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 four urban districts of the city.Haikou was originally a port city, serving as the port for Qiongshan. During the Chinese Civil War, Haikou was one of the last Nationalist strongholds to be taken by the Communists — with the Battle of Hainan Island in 1950. Currently, more than half of the island's total trade still goes through Haikou's ports. The Temple of the Five Lords is located to the southeast of the city.
The city is home to Hainan University, a comprehensive research university under the Project 211 and the Double First Class University Plan in certain disciplines, which has its main campus on Haidian Island.
The tropical weather of Haikou has attracted the Chinese all over the country to move to this island, along with their specialty. While most tourists don't come to Haikou for food, an impressive choice of foods is a hidden gem. The cooking style is a fusion of Cantonese, Hokkienese and certain Southeast Asian elements and seafood is impressive.
Prices have surged as the tourism industry is booming. However, prices are still generally lower than many other Chinese cities if you can avoid being overcharged. Compare to other places such as Sanya, Haikou is less touristy and a way cheaper to taste the local food.
Haikou has a vibrant night life. The city has many clubs and bars, most of which are busy on any night of the week.
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Haikou is a transport hub with flights to many cities and boats to nearby mainland cities such as Beihai and Zhanjiang.
There are five main forms of public transportation in Haikou:
Its population consists mostly of immigrants from other provinces, and many development projects are in progress.
Many streets in Haikou are quite different during the day than in the evening. You will soon notice the abundance of coconut trees in Haikou. Most streets are lined with them. It is greener than most Chinese cities and has decent air quality.
The downtown does not have many tourist attractions and the water in its only beach area is murky but as a transport hub, it can serve a base for traveling to some cities on the north of Hainan.
