Some of the most well known landmarks of the City are found near Haikou Park in the center of Haikou. The very few other sites of interest are scattered about the city and nearby regions.
Apart from the Haikou Park the city center is enriched by are Xi Lake, the Dong Lake and the Old Quarter of Town located to the North of these.
Those in search of knowledge of the Haikou and Hainan of the past should head down to the Hainan Provincial Museum which was established in Haikou in the year 1984 AD and has been moved to an entirely new facility in 2005. It now stands at Guoxing Avenue, adjacent to the Provincial Library and Provincial Arts and Culture Centre, an interesting mix. The Museum is the best place to start for anyone interested in the history of the Island and its Capital City.
Currently, there are four exhibits or sections available. These are the "Hainan History Display", the "Hainan Ethnic Minorities Display", the "Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage Display" and the "Hainan Cultural Relics Display".
The main temple of Haikou, the Five Officials Memorial Temple, stands but a kilometer away to the East. Other sites within the city center include the Haikou Workers Cinema, the Haidian River and Ertong Park, and perhaps the location and facility of the former airport of Haikou.
Head out to the harbor to see the Xiuying Harbor Battery or travel only 2 kilometers beyond to land yourself on the cities main beach. The Tombs of Hairui, some 1.5 kilometers from the city center complete the local tourist itenerary.
Head out east to the Town of Wenchang on the coast to experience some of Hainans history and Ethnic Culture. At Wenchang, one can admire the palm planteries or try for the beach. Chicken Dinner after, whether you are a winner or not. Xincun Village nearby Sanya is Hainans main home of the Pearls which are cultivated by the ultra-rare Danjia Minority. The nearby Rhesus Monkey colony also provides for unusual entertainment.
A Full listing of Haikou City Landmarks, Monuments, Hotspots and other sites of importance in alphabetical order. Search through the list to find your Full Report and Photo-Virtual Tour of each monument or landmark within the City, or Region of Haikou in Hainan Island Province of China (PRC).
HAIKOU PARK OR PEOPLES PARK:
The Haikou Park is located dead in the center of Town. It is known officially as the Peoples Park and thus houses the Revolutionary Monument of the City, in this case the Monument to the Liberation of the Island of Hainan from the Kuomintang on the 5Th of March in 1950 AD. It was essentially the last large battle of the (2nd) Civil War in China and came about half a year after the Communist Party of China had already declared victory and established the Peoples Republic of China (October 1st 1949 AD).
FIVE OFFICIALS MEMORIAL TEMPLE:
The Memorial Temple for the Five Offcials, or Wugong Si, can be found in Fucheng, which is located some 4 kilometers due south of the city center of Haikou. The Temple is named after Five unusually patriotic civil administrators of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD) and Song Dynasty (960 AD - 1279 AD) and Ming Dynasty Era (1368 AD - 1644 AD). These were Li Deya, Song Ligang, Li Guang, Zhao Ding and Hu Quan. All of them were sent into exile for criticizing their respective Emperors, eventhough they were men of solid reputations and intentions.
Although the Main Temple is dedicated to these five courageous Men and their memory, there are several other shrines within the main Buddhist Temple.
As with the Tomb of Hai Rui the history of the Temple of the Five Officials has also been quite a turbulent one. In World War 2 for instance, the Japanese occupation force carried of several Temple relics.
The Temple is surrounded by its very own park. Upon reaching the Temple one is greeted by the wooden sign-board above the Gate, announcing this building as the First House (or Home) on Hainan Island. Inside the Temple are a multitude of Pavilions and shrines.
One of the main feautures is a large shrine conatining a Song Dynasty Era bronze statue of the Sakayamuni Buddha. This solid bronze statue, which was cast during the Song Dynasty period (960 AD - 1279 AD) in the town of Fucheng itself, is one of the main treasures of the Temple. During the Japanese occupation of the Island, Japanese forces carried the statue off to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, however in the year 1949 AD it was returned to Hainan Island and the Temple with due pomp.
Another important shrine within the Temple of the Five Officials is the Su Dongpo Memorial Temple, a shrine to the renowned poet Su Dongpo (1036 AD - 1101 AD) also known as Su Shi (Simplified Chinese: 苏轼), or more commonly Zizhan (子瞻) with the pseudonym Dongpo Jushi (東坡居士).
Su Dungpo was a truly multi-facetted man, adapt at speech, poetry and politics but also involved with science such as pharmacology. As with all the officials immortalized through this Temple, Su Dongpo was expelled from his realm by his Emperor, in this case being shipped off to remote Hainan Island during a particularly severe drought. In all the Poet, ruined Statesman and scientist stayed on Hainan Island, during which time he is regarded to have be of much influence on the culture, education and development of the Islands inhabitants. At the Temple of Su Dongpo within the Five Officials Temple Dongpo is mainly remembered for his subsequent digging of a well, the ′millet source′, which is still present inside the Temple today.
The Story of Su Dongpo ends fairly positively as even during his own Era his dismissal from Office was generally seen as unfortunate, unfair and undeserved. Much later during the Ming Era (1368 AD - 1644 AD). his the Su Dongpo story became a popular public example of what would happen when the Government was not dilligent, as had been the case under the corrupt Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271 AD - 1368 AD). Thus Su Dongpo became a model hero. He was posthumously rehabilitated, and honored with his very own Temple here on Hainan island in the year 1617 AD, just before the Ming Dynasty come to its violent end (1638 AD). His brother Su Ze is also honored at the Temple.
The last worthwhile section of the Temple is Zhaozong Temple, a Shrine to the Han Dynasty Generals Lu Bode and Ma Yuan. Apart from the Generals, this shrine is also used for the comemmoration of Hai Rui, and another official, the Confucian Scholar Qiu Jun (1420 AD - 1490 AD). It also houses the small souvenir shop attached to the Temple.
How to Get There:
Take a Taxi or try the Bus. Get on Bus Line 217 at the Haikou Hotel, or take Bus 1 from the Friendship Hotel to travle in the direction of Fucheng. Asks for Wugong Si if any troubles arise. Its the only Temple near.
Opening Hours: 8 AM to 18:00 PM.
