Enjoy a walking tour of Wenchang

Wenchang, one of the three major historic towns of Hainan, is a beautiful city located on the northeast coast of the southern Chinese province. The area's profound cultural heritage makes it a popular travel destination.

Hometown of Overseas Chinese

Over 1.2 million overseas Chinese from Wenchang now live in over 50 different countries and regions, which is why the city is known as the "hometown of overseas Chinese". Historic Wennan and Puqian Streets bear witness to the many overseas Chinese who brought the culture and architecture of Southeast Asia back home with them to Wenchang.

The prosperity of the past is still evident in the ancient Qilou buildings, and the daring, bold Wenchang spirit lives on in the heart of everyone who calls the city home.

Historic Wennan Street (Photo: Hainan Daily)

Historic Puqian Street (Photo: Hainan Daily)

Wenchang now boasts over 70 overseas Chinese companies in the fields of accomodations, travel services, agricultural product processing, and more.

Wenchang's traditional Laobacha ('Old Dad's Tea') houses also echo with stories of travel across Southeast Asia. At the tail end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, overseas Chinese who had traveled in the region to find their fortunes began to come back home. In addition to their earnings, they also carried with them the lifestyles and habits they had picked up during their years abroad. Thanks to their influence, Hainan's teahouses began to serve Western-style drinks and pastries such as coffee, milk tea, and bread rolls. This influence can still be seen in the 'Old Dad's Tea' houses of today.

Wenchang 'Old Dad’s Tea' (Photo: Wenchang Publish)

A Sea of Palms

The Dongjiao Palm Forest is located along the shore of Dongjiao Town in Wenchang. There are more than 500,000 coconut palms here, covering the land as far as the eye can see. In the west, the 25 meter tall Wenbi Tower is one of the area's most ancient structures.

Dongjiao Palm Forest. (Photo: Hainan Broadcasting Station)

The Hainan Coconut Carving Exhibition Center sits along Hangtian Avenue in Dongjiao Town, and boasts ten thousand acres of coconut palm forest, a wide variety of exhibits, and a strong coconut carving culture.

The art of carving coconuts dates back centuries. During the Ming and Qing Dynasty eras, these intricate treasures were often sent to the emperor as tributes. Now, everyone can take one of these "imperial tributes" back home to enjoy and admire!

In June 2008, China's State Council approved the inclusion of Hainan coconut carving on the second national intangible cultural heritage list.

Coconut incense burners on display in the Hainan Coconut Carving Exhibition Center. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

Bottles carved from coconuts. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

Coastal Scenery

With nearly 300 kilometers of coastline, Wenchang boasts the longest natural coastline in Hainan and is known as the "Pearl on the Coast".

Mulan Bay, which lies across from the Leizhou Peninsula, is known for crystal clear waters, sparkling white sand, imposing rocks, and the exuberant calls of sea birds. Accessible via Hainan's new coastal scenic highway, Mulan Bay also features a lighthouse standing guard above the shore.

Starry night at Mulan Bay (Photo: Liu Sunmou / New Hainan App)

Windmills line the Wenchang coastline. (Photo: Liu Yang / Hinews)

The wind turbines that line the coast of Mulan Bay both provide clean energy and create a new, modern landscape.

Located in Qinglan Town in Wenchang, Gaolong Bay faces the South China Sea. The palm trees wave their fronds in the cool sea breezes, creating an iconic tropical island scene. Thanks to the calmness of the sea, this bay has been dubbed 'nature's swimming pool'.

Qinglan Bridge (Photo: Hainan Broadcasting Station)

Moon Bay lies north of Wenchang's Tongguling, and the silver sands of the crescent moon-shaped beach here stretch along a total of around 11 kilometers. The well-preserved, dense coastal forest protects the shore from erosion while also providing a habitat for many local plant and animal species.

Moon Bay (Photo: Zhang Mao / Hainan Daily)

Space Culture

The Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site is located in Longlou Town. It’s the first open coastal space launch base in China and one of just a few low-latitude launch sites in the world.

Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site (Photo: Hainan Daily)

At present, only the Wenchang Space Science Center and a few other facilities in this space city are open to visitors. The science center includes different themed areas named for various Chinese space missions and endeavors. Some rocket launch artifacts are on display in the museum, and the walls show charts detailing the development of China's space program.

An exhibition in the Wenchang Space Science Center. (Photo: Wenchang Publish)

The Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site is accelerating the construction of the only commercial space launch site in China, working to build a high-quality, international, and innovative global space city.