Haikou

Haikou is the capital and most populous city of Hainan province, China. It is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The northern part of the city is the district of Haidian Island, which is separated from the main part of Haikou by the Haidian River, a branch of the Nandu. The hanzi characters comprising the city's name, mean ocean/sea and mouth/port, respectively. Thus, the name "Haikou" is also a word for "seaport" - similar to Portsmouth in England. Haikou originally served as the port for Qiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of Hainan island, located some 5 kilometres inland to the south east. During its early history Haikou was a part of Guangdong province. In the 13th century it was fortified and became a military post under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The port is located west of the mouth of the Nandu River, Hainan's principal river. When Qiongshan was opened to foreign trade under the Treaty of Tianjin in 1858, Haikou started to rival the old administrative city. It was known internationally as 'Hoihow', based on the local dialect. In 1926, Haikou overtook Qiongshan in population and it was declared a separate administrative city.

Also known as the "Coconut city", Haikou is an important tourist destination for China. The Temple of Five Lords was built in memory of five historical celebrities of the Tang and Song dynasties who lived within Hainan Province. Tomb of Hai Rui is the tomb for Hai Rui, an upright official from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Hainan-born Hai Rui punished treacherous court officials campaigned for the rights of common people. Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Natural Reserve Area, located in Qio