Stand at the corner of Changdi Road and Xinhua Road, just across from the Haikou Clock Tower, and the arcades of Old Qilou Streets begin to close over your head — a shaded grid of weathered facades where shopfronts open straight onto the pavement. This is the most direct way to read Haikou's history as a treaty port, and it costs nothing to walk.
Haikou suits travellers who prefer streets, markets and old buildings to ticketed attractions, and who are comfortable moving around a city where much of the signage and museum interpretation is in Chinese only. The northern coast setting means heat, humidity and a rainy season from May to October, with tropical storms most likely between August and September.
This guide covers the historical sites and natural reserves that the sources describe, ordered so the most rewarding come first, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Haikou
1. Old Qilou Streets
The largest area in Haikou where old buildings are preserved, these arcaded streets in Longhua District blend Southern Chinese and colonial styles and give the district an authentic working-city atmosphere. The shops are eclectic rather than curated: pets including puppies, chicks, cats and rabbits, household drapes, kitchen tools, hardware, roast duck and toys. You can walk into some of the old courtyard-style buildings and see the original woodwork and details.
Enter via the official entrance at the intersection of Changdi Road and Xinhua Road, opposite the Haikou Clock Tower, where a bus stop serves around two dozen routes. Zhongshan Road is the pedestrian-only spine, lined with souvenir shops and trendy cafes; Bo'ai Road, Changdi Road, Deshengsha Road and Xinhua Road are also worth walking. Combine the visit with Dongmen Market on Bo'ai Road to see the exotic foods for sale. Entry is free.
2. Tianhou Temple
Dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the sea also known as Tianhou, or Queen of Heaven, this is one of the oldest temples in Haikou, with a history of over 700 years. It sits at 87 Zhongshan Road in Longhua District, so it slots naturally into a walk along the Old Qilou Streets.
If you enter Zhongshan Road from Xinhua Road, the temple appears on your right after a short walk. It is open 09:00–20:00 and admission is free, which makes it an easy stop rather than a planned excursion.
3. Wugong Temple
A Ming dynasty construction dedicated to five officials banished to Hainan during the Tang and Song dynasties for criticising the government, set in a tropical garden of ponds filled with lilies, winding bridges and exotic palms. The main building houses life-like statues of the five officials; the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo is also commemorated here. Among the historic artefacts is a Song dynasty stone tablet with an inscription dated 1119 AD, held by a stone turtle.
It stands at 169 Haifu Road in Qiongshan District, about a ten-minute taxi ride from the city centre, with a bus stop named after the temple served by multiple routes. Opening hours are 08:00–18:00 and admission is ¥20. The Haikou City Museum stands directly opposite, though it is not associated with the temple.
4. Dongzhai Harbor National Nature Reserve
An evergreen forest peculiar to Hainan's subtropical coastal area, where the trees' roots are surrounded by water at high tide, giving the appearance that they grow straight from the sea. Despite the name, the trees do not have red leaves. The aquatic environment breeds fish and shrimp, and the leaves are said to have medicinal value; the trees produce seeds that sprout and propagate within their own shell.
When the tide is in, boat trips wind in and out of the tree trunks and on to a tiny island nearby with pineapple trees; each trip takes about one hour and leaves from the park entrance. The reserve is in Yanfeng Town, Qiongshan City — take a minibus from Wugong Temple to Fusheng in Qiongshan city, then a pedicab to the forest park. It is open 08:00–18:00, and tide times vary by season, so plan around the water rather than the clock.
5. Xiuying Battery
A 19th-century coastal fort near Evergreen Park where you can see replica cannons, underground chambers and many banyan trees. A museum in the middle of the fort presents the history of the fort and Chinese coastal defence in general, though everything inside is in Chinese only; a short summary in English appears on a plaque opposite one of the cannon emplacements.
It is at 5 Shimao Road South in Longhua District. Admission is ¥10 from October to April and ¥8 from May to September.
6. Qiongtai Academy
Established in commemoration of Qiu Jun, believed to be the most brilliant scholar in Hainan and a renowned Ming dynasty academic, with construction beginning in 1705. The two-storey main building is brick and wood and rich in traditional ethnic characteristics, and the well-preserved academy is now the site of Qiongtai Normal University. It became celebrated after a well-known Cantonese and Qiong drama was written based on events there.
It is at 8 Zhongshan Road, Fucheng Town, Qiongshan District; take bus no. 1, 4, 44 or 58 and get off at Qiongtai Normal University. Opening hours are 09:00–17:00 and admission is ¥5.
7. Former Residence of Qiu Jun
Built in the second year of the Ming dynasty in 1369, this is the oldest wooden building in Haikou and a rare example of early Ming architecture. It stands at No. 9 Lane 3, Jinhua Road, Qiongshan District, and admission is free.
The nearest bus stop is Zhuyun Market, served by routes 10, 31, 38, 44, 46, 49, 58, 69 and k3. Pair it with Qiongtai Academy, which was founded in Qiu Jun's memory.
8. Tomb of Hairui
A key national cultural protection unit honouring Hairui, a famous Ming dynasty official born in Qiongshan and known as an incorruptible official. The tomb was built in 1589; it is said that when people were carrying Hairui's coffin the rope broke, and they decided this should be the place. A high archway in the middle bears the inscription "Yue Dong Zheng Qi", the grave path is paved with granite with three memorials along the way, and stone statues of sheep, horses, lions, tortoises and human figures line the approach. The tomb itself is built of granite and formed like an ancient bell, with evergreen trees around the cemetery, and the Hairui Cultural Exhibit Hall is on site.
It is in Yabin Village, Xiuying District.
9. Xitian Temple
A memorial temple dedicated to Wang Zuo, a famous poet from Hainan's Lingao County who lived from 1428 to 1512. It was founded about half a century after his death, later destroyed and rebuilt, and the current structures date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Admission is free.
It is at 75 Yixing Street, Longhua District, which places it within reach of the Old Qilou Streets area.
10. Qiu Jun's Tomb
Much less frequently visited than Hairui's tomb, in part because it was neglected for many years. Restoration work began in the early 2010s and was completed in 2020, and the tomb is now part of a small park called Qiu Jun Cultural Park, which includes a museum about Qiu Jun that opened in May 2022. Admission is free.
It is on Qiu Jun Road, Chengxi Town, Xiuying District. The nearest bus stops are Liuniushan Market and Haikou Meatworks, served by bus nos. 17, 22, 26, 36, 64 and 66.
11. Former Residence of Feng Baiju
Feng Baiju (1903–1973) was the chief Communist military leader on Hainan Island during both the Chinese Civil War and the Second Sino-Japanese War. His house was burned down by the Japanese army in 1942 and rebuilt in 1984, and there is a small museum about him next to the residence. Admission is free.
It is in Changtai Village, Yunlong Town, Qiongshan District, reached by Tourist Bus 5, and is open 08:00–17:30. Combine it with the Qiongya Red Army Yunlong Reorganization Site, which is in the same town.
12. Qiongya Red Army Yunlong Reorganization Site
In 1938 at this site in Yunlong, the Qiongya Workers and Peasants' Red Army led by Feng Baiju was reorganised and rebranded as the Independent Column of District 14 of the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Defense Corps, following an agreement by Communist and Kuomintang forces to halt the civil war and fight the invading Japanese army together. A memorial was set up in 1952 and further structures were erected in the 1980s, including a bronze statue of a soldier from the Qiongya Independent Column. The exhibition hall gives a detailed overview of Hainan's experience during the Second Sino-Japanese War, though there is no information in English.
It is at 9 Haiyu Road South, Yunlong Town, Qiongshan District, reached by either the K1 bus or Tourist Bus 5. Admission is free.
13. Leiqiong Global Geopark Haikou District
Formerly known as Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark, this is the Haikou section of the Leiqiong Global Geopark. It lies in Shishan Town, Xiuying District, at the western edge of the city.
Because it sits well away from the old town and the Qiongshan sites, treat it as a separate half-day rather than something to fold into a city walk.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the official entrance to Old Qilou Streets at the intersection of Changdi Road and Xinhua Road, opposite the Haikou Clock Tower. Walk Zhongshan Road, then turn into Tianhou Temple at number 87, and finish the morning at Dongmen Market on Bo'ai Road.
Afternoon: Take a taxi or bus to Wugong Temple on Haifu Road in Qiongshan District, allowing time for the ponds, bridges and the Song dynasty stone tablet. If the tide timing works in your favour, continue to Dongzhai Harbor National Nature Reserve for the boat trip through the flooded trees; if it does not, stay in the city and visit Qiongtai Academy before its 17:00 closing.
Evening: Return to Zhongshan Road, where the pedestrian street's cafes and souvenir shops stay open into the evening, and eat in the Old Qilou Streets area.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Haikou?
Haikou has a tropical wet and dry climate. May to October is the rainy season, with the heaviest rainfall in September, and April to October is the active period for tropical storms and typhoons, most of which occur between August and September. Plan outdoor sites such as Dongzhai Harbor National Nature Reserve and the tombs with that in mind.
Do I need to pay to visit the main sights?
Many of the historical sites are free, including Old Qilou Streets, Tianhou Temple, Xitian Temple, the Former Residence of Qiu Jun, Qiu Jun's Tomb, the Former Residence of Feng Baiju and the Qiongya Red Army Yunlong Reorganization Site. Wugong Temple charges ¥20, Qiongtai Academy ¥5, and Xiuying Battery ¥10 from October to April and ¥8 from May to September.
Will I find information in English at these sites?
Not everywhere. The exhibition hall at the Qiongya Red Army Yunlong Reorganization Site has no information in English, and the museum at Xiuying Battery is in Chinese only, though a short English summary appears on a plaque opposite one of the cannon emplacements.
How do I reach the sites outside the city centre?
Several are served directly by bus. Qiongtai Academy is reached by bus no. 1, 4, 44 or 58 to Qiongtai Normal University; the Former Residence of Feng Baiju and the Qiongya Red Army Yunlong Reorganization Site are both reached by Tourist Bus 5, and the latter also by the K1 bus; Qiu Jun's Tomb is near the Liuniushan Market and Haikou Meatworks stops on routes 17, 22, 26, 36, 64 and 66. For Dongzhai Harbor National Nature Reserve, take a minibus from Wugong Temple to Fusheng in Qiongshan city and then a pedicab to the forest park.
Pick the streets and sites that match your interests, check the tide before you commit to Dongzhai Harbor, and start mapping your route through Haikou.