Hainan Province, China

Hainan Province, also abbreviated as Qiong, is located in the southernmost part of China. The main island is Hainan Island, which is the second largest island in China, and consist of Xisha, Nansha, Zhongsha and its sea areas. The province covers an area of 34,000 square kilometers and has a population of 7 million.

The Hainan Island is like a circle island. From the center spread outward, the rugged hills, plains and sea were linked one after another. The plain area covers more than 60 per cent of the total island. The main rivers are Nandu River, Wanquan River and Changhua River. It enjoys a tropical monsoon climate and has no frosting period all year round. Those islands in the South Sea are flat and small. Zengmuansha is the hottest place in the southwest. Iron ore and some other gold ore materials account for 70 percent of the nation''s mine resource. Reservation of oil and natural gas are strong. And there are rich tropical sea and fishery resources as well.

Hainan Province was established in 1988, and thereafter had been designated as a special economic zone in China, and became one of the key economic cities and the youngest province in China. With the high speed of economic development, it becomes the key production base of tropical products in China, with products include sugar cane, peanuts, tropical fruits, seafood, timber and plastic.

The traffic infrastructure of Hainan Province is well developed. There are air, railway and water transports around the island. Specially, the railway connects the south and the west part of the island.

In Hainan Province, the climate is warm all the year round with sunshine most of the times. With blue clear sea and fresh air, couple with soft and small sands and beaches, the island is covered with beautiful tropical plants and is definitely one of the well known international tourist spots. There are many famous places to visit, such as the Five Officials Memorial Temple in Haikou City, the scenic spot of End-of-the-Earth, Dadong River and Yalong Bay in Sanya City. The traditional productions are shell carving, pineapple, coconut, mango, and dragon eye fruit etc.

Fun in Hainan

Sports Hainan Island offers various kinds of water sports. Hainan¡¯s water is perfect for swimming, diving, fishing, surfing and speed boating. The soft sands are good for beach volleyball, badminton, hiking, bicycling and tennis. Indoor sports fans are also well supplied with options such as snooker.

Spas Hainan''s natural geothermal springs and health spas were once the exclusive retreats of officials and nobles. Now common visitors seeking to relax tired muscles and soak away their worries are free to take a cheeky dip without risk of breaking imperial law. People suffering from arthritis and other chronic disorders are especially recommended to take advantage of this geothermal opportunity.

Food You need not step off Hainan Island to sample all eight branches of Chinese cuisine.  Beijing, Guangzhou, Fujian, Jiangsu, Hunan, Sichuan, Shandong and Shanghai are all amply represented. Hainan also has four specialities, Wenchang Chicken, Jiaji Duck, Dongshan Mutton and Hele Crab. Tropical fruit is a local favourite and international cuisine, western and Asian, is also available.

Honeymoons Hainan is an ideal honeymoon island. From November 18th to 20th
 every year, lovers from all over the world gather at the  Remotest Corner of the Earth Resort, or ¡®Tianya Haijiao¡¯, near Sanya City to take their wedding vows or renew their promises.