City Introduction of Hainan, China: Haikou

Haikou

Major Economic indicators (2007)

Source: Haikou Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Located in the northern part of Hainan Province on Hainan Island, Haikou is the capital city of the province. It is the political, cultural and economic center of Hainan as well as the provincial transport hub. Due to the abundance of coconuts in this city, it has been dubbed the ‘Coconut City’.

Haikou has a tropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 23.8℃ and an annual rainfall of 1664 mm. Tropical storms hit Haikou during autumn every year, contributing much of the heavy downpours.

There is no bridge or tunnel between Hainan and its nearest neighbor, Guangdong. In Xuwen County, located at the southern tip of Guangdong, trains are divided into several segments, loaded onto ships and transferred to Haikou Xiuying Port. The port is located north of Haikou and 27 km south of Xuwen. Automobiles are also transported by this method. Haikou Meilan International Airport is China’s nineteenth largest airport.

Economic Features

In 2007, the industrial output of enterprises above designated size in Haikou reached RMB 32.4 billion, up 14.2% over 2006. The heavy industry is the main contributor to Haikou's economy. In 2007, the ratio of heavy industry output to light industry output was 1.7:1. Moreover, the heavy industry grew by 19.0% - 12.1% higher than that of the light industry.

The pillar industries of Haikou are the automobile, chemical, pharmaceutical and food processing industries. In 2007, industrial output of the four industries reached RMB 18.7 billion, accounting for 57.7% of the city's total.

The automobile industry is Haikou's largest pillar industry. In 2007, industrial output of this sector accounted for 34.7% of the city's total. Haima Motor is the largest manufacturer in this industry. It was set up by the nation's second largest automobile manufacturer, First Auto Works. In 2007, Haima's production of automobiles exceeded 130,000. The success of automobile enterprises has also boosted the development of auto parts manufacturers.

Tourism is the most important industry in Haikou's service sector. In 2007, 5.9 million travelers visited Haikou, up 9.2% from 2006. Within this figure, 149,500 were foreign tourists. Tourism revenue reached RMB 5.5 billion, growing by 8.1%.

In 2007, foreign trade value of Haikou increased by 44.1% to US$1.9 billion, while the utilized FDI grew by 12.8% to US$504 million.

Cultural Highlights

Haikou was originally the port of Qiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of Hainan Island. It became a military post in the thirteenth century. After Qiongshan was opened to foreign trade under the Treaty of Tianjin (1858), Haikou began to rival the old administrative city in terms of economic developement.

Haikou is located by the coast of South China, and has been influenced by the Matzu Culture, which was promoted by the local officials during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Later, when Haikou became one of the trade ports in South China, merchants increased the popularity of the Matzu Culture. Presently, there are many sites for Matzu cultural activities.

Tourist Attractions

Haikou has many historical sites. The Wugong Temple (The Five Official's Temple), the Tomb of Hai Rui and the Xiuying Emplacement are the most famous, reminding people of the city’s historical importance.

Seafood is one of Haikou’s main attractions. However, there are other well known local dishes such as Wenchang Chicken, Dongshan Mutton, Jiaji Duck and Hele Crab. Due to its climate, Haikou also has an abundance of fresh local fruits such as mangos, pineapples, jackfruits, coconuts, carambola, betelnuts, pawpaw, longan, lychee, loquat, nase berry as well as passion fruit.

Major Development Zones

By the end of 2007, Haikou had 2 state-level development zones.

State-level Development Zones in Haikou

Source: National Development and Reform Commission of P.R. China

Honors

National Model City for Environmental Protection (2000)

---Ministry of Environmental Protection

International Garden City (2002)

---International Park Association

National Excellence in Tourism (1999)

---National Tourism Administration