Haikou is the capital city of Hainan province, China. It is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. Haikou was originally a port city. Today, more than half of the island's total trade still goes through its ports. Haikou, a coastal city, attracts more and more people living here with suitable living environment and high quality of air and traveling here with beautiful seaside scenery.
Haikou, a word for "seaport", originally served as the port for Qiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of Hainan Island. During its early history Haikou was a part of Guangdong province. In the 13th century it was fortified and became a military post under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). When Qiongshan was opened to foreign trade under the Treaty of Tianjin in 1858, Haikou started to rival the old administrative city. Since 1949, Haikou has maintained its position as Hainan's main port, handling more than half of the island's total trade. It has replaced Qiongshan as the island's administrative capital. In 1988, Haikou was made a prefecture-level city as well as the capital of the newly created Hainan Province.
Haikou has a humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a tropical climate, with monsoonal influences. Nevertheless, the area has warm winters, usually with high humidity. The mean annual temperature is 23.8 °C.
Haikou exports substantial quantities of agricultural produce and livestock. There is a small amount of industry, including canning, textiles, rice hulling, and light engineering. Hainan Airlines has its headquarters in the HNA Building in Haikou. Automotive manufacturer, Haima Automobile also has its global headquarters here. The Haikou Free Trade Zone is a state-level. It was approved on October 21, 1992 by the State Council.
Haikou has an extensive urban bus service. Taxi automobiles and electric motorbikes operate throughout the city. Haikou is served by Haikou Meilan International Airport, which is located 25 km from the city.
In January 2011, Haikou was selected to be the first test site for an experiment allowing private helicopter flight in China. There are two train stations and many buses to many cities in China. Haikou has two seaports for passenger and cargo service. Haikou New Port, formerly known as the Inner Harbor, is located on the southern side of the mouth of the Haidian River. Approximately 7 km (4 mi) west of Haikou New Port is Haikou Xiuying Port. This port is considerably larger, and is the main distribution centre for cargo entering Hainan, and is also a major port for immigration onto Hainan Island.
Several large public buildings now occupy Guoxing Road at Haikou, the new area for arts and culture. These include the Hainan Provincial Museum, the Hainan Provincial Library, and the Hainan Centre for the Performing Arts. At the west side of Evergreen Park is the Haikou Great Hall of the People, a concert hall, and Hainan Exhibition & Convention Center, a large centre for trade shows and other commercial events. Haikou City Stadium, is the main venue for sports events, and is located at the southeast corner of Evergreen Park.
Population: 2.20 million
Temperature: average 23.8 °C (74.84 °F)
