Haikou

About Haikou

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 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.

Haikou's Qilou Old Street (骑楼老街) features arcaded buildings blending Southern Chinese and colonial styles,...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.