View source for Hainan

{{Short description|Province of China}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Hainan
| native_name        = {{lang|zh|海南}}
| settlement_type    = [[Provinces of China|Province]]
| translit_lang1     = Name
| translit_lang1_type = {{nobold|Chinese}}
| translit_lang1_info = {{lang|zh|海南省}} ({{tlit|zh|Hǎinán shěng}})
| translit_lang1_type1 = {{nobold|[[Hainanese]]}}
| translit_lang1_info1 = ''Hái-nâm-séng''
| translit_lang1_type2 = {{nobold|Cantonese [[Jyutping]]}}
| translit_lang1_info2 = {{transliteration|yue|hoi2 naam4 saang2}}
| translit_lang1_type3 = {{nobold|Abbreviation}}
| translit_lang1_info3 = {{linktext|lang=zh|琼}} ({{tlit|zh|Qióng}} / {{tlit|zh|Khêng}} / {{tlit|yue|king4}})
| image_skyline      = 三亚大小洞天景区风光 - panoramio (20).jpg
| image_caption      = Sanya Nanshan Dongtian Park
| image_map          = Hainan in China (+all claims hatched).svg
| map_caption        = Location of Hainan within China
| coordinates        = {{coord|19.2|N|109.7|E|type:adm1st|format=dms|display=it}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = China
| established_title  = [[Guangnan West Circuit]]
| established_date   = 988
| established_title2 = Hainan Special Administrative Region
| established_date2  = 1944
| established_title3 = [[Battle of Hainan Island|Incorporation into the PRC]]
| established_date3  = 1 May 1950
| established_title4 = Separation from [[Guangdong]]
| established_date4  = 26 April 1988
| seat_type          = Capital {{nwr|{{nobold|and largest city}}}}
| seat               = [[Haikou]]
| parts_type         = Divisions
| parts_style        = para
| p1                 = 4 [[Prefectures of China|prefectures]]
| p2                 = 25 [[Counties of China|counties]]
| p3                 = 218 [[Townships of China|townships]]
| government_type    = [[Provinces of China|Province]]
| governing_body     = Hainan Provincial People's Congress
| leader_title       = [[Communist Party Secretary of Hainan|Party Secretary]]
| leader_name        = [[Feng Fei (politician)|Feng Fei]]
| leader_title1      = Congress Chairman
| leader_name1       = [[Feng Fei (politician)|Feng Fei]]
| leader_title2      = [[Governor (China)|Governor]]
| leader_name2       = [[Liu Xiaoming (politician)|Liu Xiaoming]]
| leader_title3      = [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|CPPCC]] Chairman
| leader_name3       = [[Li Rongcan]]
| leader_title4      = [[National People's Congress]] Representation
| leader_name4       = 26 deputies
| area_footnotes     = <ref name=mofcom>{{cite web|title=Doing Business in China – Survey|url=http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/article/zt_business/lanmub/|publisher=Ministry of Commerce, People's Republic of China|access-date=5 August 2013|archive-date=5 August 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130805091244/http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/article/zt_business/lanmub/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 35191
| area_rank          = [[List of Chinese administrative divisions by area|28th]]
| elevation_max_m    = 1840
| elevation_max_point = [[Wuzhi Mountain]]
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|date=11 May 2021|title=Communiqué of the Seventh National Population Census (No. 3)|url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202105/t20210510_1817188.html|access-date=11 May 2021|publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of China]]|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511104847/http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202105/t20210510_1817188.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_total   = 10,081,232
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_rank    = [[List of Chinese administrative divisions by population|28th]]
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_rank = [[List of Chinese administrative divisions by population density|17th]]
| demographics_type1 = Demographics
| demographics1_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| demographics1_title1 = Ethnic composition
| demographics1_info1 = {{ubl
 | [[Han Chinese|Han]]: 82.6%
 | [[Li people|Li]]: 15.84%
 | [[Hmong people|Miao]]: 0.82%
 | [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]]: 0.67%
}}
| demographics1_title2 = Languages and dialects
| demographics1_info2 = [[Standard Chinese]], [[Hainanese]], [[Yue Chinese|Yue]], [[Be language|Lingao]], [[Hakka Chinese|Hakka]], [[Hlai language|Hlai]], [[Miao language|Miao]], [[Tsat language|Tsat]]
| demographics_type2 = [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] {{normal|(2023)}}<ref name="GDPdata">{{cite web|url=https://data.stats.gov.cn/english/easyquery.htm?cn=E0103|title=National Data|publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of China|China NBS]]|date=March 2024|access-date=June 22, 2024|archive-date=9 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109073448/http://data.stats.gov.cn/english/easyquery.htm?cn=E0103|url-status=live}} see also {{cite web|url=https://stats.hainan.gov.cn/tjj/tjgb/fzgb/2023/202402/t20240220_3598617.html|title=zh: 2023年海南省国民经济和社会发展统计公报|publisher=Hainan.gov.cn|date=February 22, 2024|access-date=June 22, 2024}} The average exchange rate of 2023 was CNY 7.0467 to 1 USD dollar {{cite press release| url=https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202402/t20240228_1947918.html| title=Statistical communiqué of the People's Republic of China on the 2023 national economic and social development| publisher=China NBS| date=February 29, 2024| access-date=June 22, 2024| archive-date=5 March 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305035331/https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202402/t20240228_1947918.html| url-status=live}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = {{CNY|755 billion}} ([[List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP|28th]]; US$107 billion)
| demographics2_title2 = Per capita
| demographics2_info2 = {{CNY|72,958}} ([[List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP per capita|17th]]; US$10,353
| iso_code           = CN-HI
| blank4_name_sec2   = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022)
| blank4_info_sec2   = 0.781<ref name="SHDI">{{cite web |title=Human Development Indices (8.0)- China |url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/table/shdi/CHN/?levels=1+4&years=2022&interpolation=0&extrapolation=0 |access-date=23 September 2024 |website=Global Data Lab}}</ref> ([[List of Chinese administrative divisions by HDI|15th]]) – {{color|#090|high}}
| website            = {{URL|en.hainan.gov.cn}}
| official_name      = Province of Hainan
}}
{{Infobox islands
| name               = Hainan Island
| image_name         = Hainan NASA Terra MODIS 2020-11-13.jpg
| native_name        = {{langn|zh|海南岛}}
| native_name_lang   = Chinese
| location           = [[East Asia]]
| island_type        = [[Island]]
| length_km          = 156
| width_km           = 170
| area_km2           = 33,210
| rank               = 42nd
| highest_mount      = [[Wuzhi Mountain]]
| elevation_m        = 1,840
| country            = People's Republic of China
| country_admin_divisions_title = [[Provinces of China|Province]]
| country_admin_divisions = Hainan
| country_largest_city = [[Haikou]]
| country_largest_city_population = 2,873,358
| country1           = Republic of China (claimed)
| country1_admin_divisions_title_1 = [[History of the administrative divisions of China (1912–1949)#Administrative divisions published after 1949|Special Administrative Region]]
| country1_admin_divisions_1 = Hainan
| population         = {{circa|8,180,000}}
| ethnic_groups      = [[Han Chinese|Han]], [[Li Chinese|Li]], [[Hmong people|Miao]], [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]], [[Utsul]]
}}
{{Infobox Chinese|showflag=p
| pic = Hainan (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = "Hainan" in Chinese characters
| picsize = 125px
| c = {{linktext|海南}}
| p = {{Audio|zh-Hainan.ogg|Hǎinán}}
| tp = Hǎinán
| w = {{tonesup|Hai3-nan2}}
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|h|ai|3|.|n|an|2}}
| j = Hoi2 naam4
| y = Hói nàahm
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|h|oi|2|-|n|aam|4}}
| l = "South of the sea"
| phfs = Hói-nàm
| poj = Hái-lâm
| buc = Hāi-nàng
| hain = Hái-nâm
| bpmf = ㄏㄞˇㄋㄢˊ
| qc = Hải Nam
| altname = Former name
| c2 = {{linktext|珠崖}}
| p2 = Zhūyá
| tp2 = Jhuyá
| w2 = {{tonesup|Chu1-ya2}}
| mi2 = {{IPAc-cmn|zh|u|1|.|ya|2}}
| bpmf2 = ㄓㄨ ㄧㄚˊ
| j2 = zyu1 ngaai4
| y2 = Jyū ngàaih
| ci2 = {{IPAc-yue|z|yu|1|-|ng|aai|4}}
| l2 = "Pearl cliffs"
| altname3 = Second former name
| s3 = {{linktext|琼崖}}
| t3 = {{linktext|瓊崖}}
| p3 = Qióngyá
| tp3 = Cyóngyá
| w3 = {{tonesup|Ch'iung2-ya2}}
| mi3 = {{IPAc-cmn|q|iong|2|.|ya|2}}
| bpmf3 = ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄧㄚˊ
| j3 = king4 ngaai4
| y3 = Kìhng ngàaih
| ci3 = {{IPAc-yue|k|ing|4|-|ng|aai|4}}
| l3 = "Jade cliffs"
| altname4 = Third former name
| s4 = {{linktext|琼州}}
| t4 = {{linktext|瓊州}}
| p4 = Qióngzhōu
| tp4 = Cyóngjhou
| w4 = {{tonesup|Ch'iung2-chou1}}
| mi4 = {{IPAc-cmn|q|iong|2|.|zh|ou|1}}
| bpmf4 = ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄓㄡ
| j4 = King4 zau1
| y4 = Kìhng jāu
| ci4 = {{IPAc-yue|k|ing|4|-|z|au|1}}
| l4 = "Jade prefecture"
}}
'''Hainan'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|UK|h|ai|'|n|ae|n}}, {{IPAc-en|US|-|n|ɑː|n}};<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Hainan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519015411/https://www.lexico.com/definition/Hainan |archive-date=19 May 2021 |title=Hainan |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> <!-- details in infobox -->{{zh|s={{Audio|Hainan.ogg|海南|help=no}}}}}} is an [[island]] [[provinces of China|province]] and the southernmost province of [[China]]. It consists of the [[eponymous]] '''Hainan Island''' and various smaller islands in the [[South China Sea]] under the province's administration. The name literally means "South of the Sea".

The province has a land area of {{convert|33920|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}, of which Hainan Island is {{Convert|32900|km2|mi2|-2|sp=us}} and the rest is over 200 islands scattered across three [[archipelagos]]: [[Zhongsha Islands|Zhongsha]], [[Xisha Islands|Xisha]] and [[Nansha Islands|Nansha]]. It was part of [[Guangdong]] from 1950 to 1988, after which it was made a province of its own and was designated as a [[special economic zones of China|special economic zone]] by [[Deng Xiaoping]], as part of the [[Chinese economic reform]] program.

The Han [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] population, who compose a majority of the population at 82%, speak a wide variety of languages including [[Standard Chinese]], [[Hainanese|Hainam Min]], [[Yue Chinese]], [[Cantonese]], [[Hakka Chinese]], etc.<ref>Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2017). ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (20th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Chinese, Min Nan.</ref>  Indigenous peoples such as the [[Hlai people|Hlai]], a [[Kra–Dai languages|Kra–Dai]]-speaking [[ethnic group]], are native to the island and compose 15% of the population. Their native languages include the [[Hlai languages]]. The Hlai are recognized by the Chinese government as one of the country's 56 [[List of ethnic groups in China|ethnic groups]]. Speakers of [[Be language|Be]], despite speaking a Kra-Dai language, are reckoned officially as ethnically Han Chinese. Hainan is also home to the [[Jiamao language]], of disputed provenance.

There are ten major cities and ten [[Counties of China|counties]] in Hainan Province. The capital of the province is [[Haikou]], on the northern coast of Hainan Island, while [[Sanya]] is a well-known tourist destination on the southern coast. The other major cities are [[Wenchang]], [[Sansha]], [[Qionghai]], [[Wanning]], [[Wuzhishan City|Wuzhishan]], [[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]] and [[Danzhou]].

According to China's [[nine-dash line|territorial claims]], several disputed territories in the [[South China Sea]], including the [[Spratly Islands]] (''Nansha'') and [[Paracel Islands]] (''Xisha''),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13748349|title=Why is the South China Sea contentious? – BBC News|work=BBC News|date=12 July 2016|language=en-GB|access-date=16 August 2016|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213024410/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13748349|url-status=live}}</ref> are administered under Sansha city of the province. While the Paracels are fully under China's control, many of the Spratly Islands are controlled by other countries, such as [[Vietnam]] and the [[Philippines]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea |url=https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea |website=Global Conflict Tracker |access-date=9 March 2023 |language=en |archive-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309011314/https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, a large-scale plan was announced by the Chinese government to transform the entire island province into a [[Free-trade zone|free trade port]], with the aim of turning it into the largest free-trade port in the world by 2035. The plan involves building a hub for offshore financing and duty-free shopping, as well as using lower taxes and reduced visa requirements to help draw in foreign businesses and tourists. Moreover, all goods sold from Hainan to other parts of China would be treated as imports from 2025 onward.<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 June 2020|title=Hainan FTZ to Establish China's Biggest Free Trade Port by 2035|url=https://www.china-briefing.com/news/hainan-ftz-masterplan-released-establish-chinas-biggest-free-trade-port-2035/|access-date=1 January 2021|website=China Briefing News|language=en|archive-date=22 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122110941/https://www.china-briefing.com/news/hainan-ftz-masterplan-released-establish-chinas-biggest-free-trade-port-2035/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=China's Hainan free trade port: Introducing an innovative tax regime to attract investment|url=https://www.internationaltaxreview.com/article/b1n8bgfxnnnydw/chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-introducing-an-innovative-tax-regime-to-attract-investment|access-date=1 January 2021|website=International Tax Review|date=7 September 2020|language=en-gb|archive-date=22 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122091328/https://www.internationaltaxreview.com/article/b1n8bgfxnnnydw/chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-introducing-an-innovative-tax-regime-to-attract-investment|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 February 2023 |title=Exclusive: 'China's Hawaii' plans to ease entry for Hong Kong retailers, goods |url=https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3209386/hainan-pitches-rules-help-hong-kong-retailers-goods-enter-booming-consumer-market-chinas-hawaii |access-date=12 February 2023 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=China's Hainan free-trade port tipped to deepen Asean ties |language=en |work=Bangkok Post |date=27 April 2022 |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2301366/chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-tipped-to-deepen-asean-ties |access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref>

==Names==
The provincial name derives from its major island, Hainan, in Hainanese "Hai Nam", which is named after its position south of the [[Qiongzhou Strait]]. (To the north of the strait, the [[Leizhou Peninsula]] in Guangdong is also known as ''Haibei/Hai Bac'' or "North of the Sea".) Former names for Hainan Island include '''Zhuya''', '''Qiongya''', and '''Qiongzhou'''. The latter two gave rise to the [[Chinese abbreviations|provincial abbreviation]] {{lang|zh-hans|{{linktext|琼}}}} (''Qióng/Kheng'').

During the 17th and 18th centuries, explorers referred to the island as "'''Aynam'''",<ref>{{cite web|title=Map of the Island of Aynam|url=http://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/object/?id=7512|access-date=2 February 2015|publisher=Atlas of Mutual Heritage|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194806/https://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/object/?id=7512|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Dampier|first1=William|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NCdDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA8|title=Mr. Dampier's Voyages|publisher=London: James & John Knapton|year=1729|series=Mr.Dampiers Voyages Around the World|volume=2|author-link=William Dampier}}</ref> which remains the pronunciation of its name in the local [[Hainanese]] dialect.

==History==
[[File:Hainan 1820-1875.jpg|thumb|19th century map of Hainan]]

===Prehistoric era===
According to some scholars, Hainan was originally attached to the Northeastern part of what is now [[Vietnam]]; however, the island was formed after it physically broke away from [[Vietnam]] due to a [[volcanic eruption]] and drifted southeast near China after the [[Mesozoic]], millions of years ago.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://m.scmp.com/news/china/article/1938422/chinas-southern-island-hainan-born-out-vietnam-millions-years-ago-study|title=China's southern island of Hainan born out of Vietnam millions of years ago: study|last=Chen|first=Stephen|work=[[South China Morning Post]]|access-date=29 April 2017|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813103311/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1938422/chinas-southern-island-hainan-born-out-vietnam-millions-years-ago-study|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Baiyue people]] are among the earliest [[Kra-Dai]] residents to arrive on Hainan island. They are believed to have settled there at least two to six thousand years ago, and carry genetic markers from ancient people who reached the island between 7000&ndash;27,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Tracing the legacy of the early Hainan Islanders – a perspective from mitochondrial DNA|journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology|date=15 February 2011|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-11-46|last1=Peng|first1=Min-Sheng|last2=He|first2=Jun-Dong|last3=Liu|first3=Hai-Xin|last4=Zhang|first4=Ya-Ping|volume=11|issue=1 |page=46|pmid=21324107|pmc=3048540 |bibcode=2011BMCEE..11...46P |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Imperial Era===
[[File:Five officials haikou 2010 01.jpg|thumb|Depiction of the five lords, or five famous exiles to Hainan island]]
Hainan Island was recorded by Chinese officials in 110 BC, when the Western [[Han dynasty]] established a military [[garrison]] there following the arrival of [[Lu Bode|General Lu Bode]]. The process of [[sinicization]] in Hainan was driven by the conjunction of Han territorial expansion and the arrival of Han Chinese military and administrative personnel who settled on the island.   Over the course of many centuries, dynastic Chinese ruling authorities exiled individuals condemned by the imperial courts as criminals or political dissidents were frequently banished to Hainan island and northern Vietnam, regions that were both integral parts governed typically under the jurisdiction of Guangdong province during different Chinese dynasties, where they were subjected to harsh labor in the tropical climate as a form of punishment.

One of the most famous exiled individuals was [[Su Shi]], a well-known intellectual, poet, and politician of the Song era, who offended many of his colleagues and superiors in the royal court. Shi wrote extensively about his exiled experiences on the island during the 11th century AD. After the 11th century AD, large numbers of Han Chinese people from Fujian and Guangdong began migrating to the Leizhou peninsula and Hainan island to settle down their roots by seeking greener pastures on new land to establish themselves. This influx displaced the indigenous Li people, who were among the [[Baiyue]] tribes in southern China, driving them out towards the mountainous regions of the southern portion of the island. Hainan was placed under the administration of Guangdong by the ruling Ming dynasty.

===Republic of China===
Hainan was historically part of Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces and as such was the Qiongya [[Circuit (administrative division)|Circuit]] ({{lang|zh-hant|瓊崖道}}) under the 1912 establishment of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]. In 1921, it was planned to become a [[Special administrative regions of China#ROC special administrative regions|special administrative region]] ({{lang|zh-hant|瓊崖特別行政區}}); in 1944, it became Hainan Special Administrative Region with 16 [[Counties of the People's Republic of China#History|counties]], including the [[South China Sea Islands]].

During the 1920s and 30s, Hainan was a hotbed of banditry, many opposition politicians{{clarify|date=February 2023}} were hanged, therefore opposition politicians went into hiding. The Communists and the indigenous [[Hlai people]] fought a vigorous [[guerrilla]] campaign against the Japanese, who were only able to occupy some Hainan territories; but in retaliation the Japanese launched numerous massacres against Hlai villages. [[Feng Baiju]] led the Hainan Independent Column of fighters throughout the 1930s and 1940s. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the [[Kuomintang]] reestablished control. Hainan was one of the last areas to eventually come under the administration of the People's Republic, having been under the control of [[Republic of China Armed Forces|ROC forces]] until March 1950. The People's Republic [[Battle of Hainan|attacked Hainan]] on 10 April 1950 and attained complete control on 1 May.

===People's Republic of China===
[[File:爱情海酒店 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A beachside resort in [[Sanya]], the second largest city in Hainan]]
On 1 May 1950, under the People's Republic of China, the Hainan Special Administrative Region became an Administrative Region Office ({{lang|zh-hans|海南行政区公署}}), a branch of the Guangdong provincial government. During the mid-1980s, when Hainan Island was still part of Guangdong Province, a fourteen-month episode of marketing zeal by Hainan Special District Administrator Lei Yu<ref>Subsequently Vice Mayor of Shenzhen SEZ (May 1985 to January 1988), Executive Vice Mayor of Guangzhou (January 1988 to April 1992) and Vice Chairman of Guangxi AR (April 1992 to January 1996).</ref> put Hainan's pursuit of provincial status under a cloud. It involved the duty-free imports from [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] of 90,000 Japanese-made cars and trucks at a cost of [[Renminbi|¥]]&nbsp;4.5 billion (US$1.5 billion), and exporting them – with the help of local naval units – to the mainland, making 150% profits. By comparison, only 10,000 vehicles were imported into Hainan since 1950. In addition, it involved further consignments of 2.9 million TV sets, 252,000 videocassette recorders & 122,000 motorcycles. The money was taken from the 1983 central government funds destined for the construction of the island's transportation infrastructure (roads, railways, airports, harbors) over the next ten years.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

On 1 October 1984, it became the Hainan Administrative Region ({{lang|zh-hans|海南行政区}}), with its own People's Government, and finally as a province separate from [[Guangdong]] four years later. In 1988, when the island was made a separate province, it was designated a [[Special economic zones of China|Special Economic Zone]] in an effort to increase investment.

The central government funds were deemed insufficient by the Hainan authorities for the construction of the island's other infrastructure (e.g. water works, power stations, telecommunications) and had taken a very liberal interpretation of the economic and trade regulations for Hainan and thirteen coastal cities; the regulations did not mention on prohibiting the re-selling of second-hand goods. Some of the proceeds, from unsold units, were later retrieved by the central government to re-finance the special district.

In June 2020, China announced a master plan for Hainan's free trade port system. Announced by state-owned media Xinhua News Agency, Hainan will "basically establish a free trade port system by 2025 and become more mature by 2035."<ref>{{Cite web|title=China Focus: China releases master plan for Hainan free trade port – Xinhua {{!}} English.news.cn|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-06/02/c_139105952.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604031928/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-06/02/c_139105952.htm|archive-date=4 June 2020|website=www.xinhuanet.com|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Verde|first=Giacomo|date=2 June 2020|title=Hainan Free Trade Port – 60 Policies for Foreign Investments|url=https://www.fdichina.com/blog/hainan-free-trade-port/|access-date=13 March 2021|website=FDI China|language=en-US|archive-date=16 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216001221/https://www.fdichina.com/blog/hainan-free-trade-port/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[South China Morning Post]] described such an initiative as an effort of PRC to "replace Hong Kong as the trading entrepôt" while Cheng Shi of ICBC International has refused to accept such a claim.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Opinion: Hainan Will Be Its Own Thing, Not Another Hong Kong – Caixin Global|url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-07-02/opinion-hainan-will-be-its-own-thing-not-another-hong-kong-101574754.html|access-date=13 March 2021|website=www.caixinglobal.com|language=en|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194756/https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-07-02/opinion-hainan-will-be-its-own-thing-not-another-hong-kong-101574754.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=11 June 2020|title=Questions raised over Hainan free port plan and WTO rules|url=https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3088593/chinas-massive-hainan-free-trade-port-plan-raises-questions|access-date=13 March 2021|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194807/https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3088593/chinas-massive-hainan-free-trade-port-plan-raises-questions|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, experts have raised concerns about the question of compliance of global trading practices particularly for this project.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 July 2020|title=Questions linger over China's Hainan free-trade hub|url=https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3092477/chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-plan-draws-approval-and|access-date=13 March 2021|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194756/https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3092477/chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-plan-draws-approval-and|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kenderdine|first=Tristan|title=China's Ocean Policy Specialist to Miss Out on 20th Central Committee|url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/chinas-ocean-policy-specialist-to-miss-out-on-20th-central-committee/|access-date=13 March 2021|website=thediplomat.com|language=en-US|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194756/https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/chinas-ocean-policy-specialist-to-miss-out-on-20th-central-committee/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{See also|Geology of Hainan Island}}
[[File:Hainan topographical map - cropped.jpg|alt=upright=1.35|thumb|Topographic map of Hainan Island]]
Hainan, separated by the {{cvt|20|km|adj=on}} wide [[Qiongzhou Strait]] from the [[Leizhou Peninsula]] of [[Guangdong]], is the 42nd largest island in the world. The area of Hainan Island ({{Convert|32900|km2|mi2|-2|abbr=on}}, 97% of the province) is slightly smaller than that of [[Taiwan]] Island. To the west of Hainan Island is the [[Gulf of Tonkin]]. [[Wuzhi Mountain]] is the highest mountain on the island at {{convert|1840|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

Hainan Island measures {{convert|288|km|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|180|km|abbr=on}} wide.

The northern half of Hainan is covered with the ancient [[Hainan Volcanic Field]]. Beneath the topsoil is [[volcanic rock]] while the topsoil itself contains small pieces of this [[Vesicular texture|vesicular]] rock.

Wetland covers 320,000 hectares, 78,000 hectares of which were created artificially. Most of this is located in the eastern and northern part of Hainan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecns.cn/2016/11-15/233958.shtml|title=China's Hainan island has 320,000 hectares of wetland|website=www.ecns.cn|access-date=19 November 2016|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194758/http://www.ecns.cn/2016/11-15/233958.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Rivers and lakes===
Most of the rivers in Hainan originate in the central area of the island and flow radially in different directions. The [[Nandu River]] in the northern part of the island is {{convert|314|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, and its [[tributary]], the [[Xinwu River]], is {{convert|109|km|mi|abbr=on}} long. Other major rivers include the [[Wanquan River]] at {{convert|162|km|mi|abbr=on}}-long in the east, [[Changhua River]] in the west, and the [[Sanya River|Sanya]] and [[Taiyang River]]s in the south. Evaporation during the dry season around the coastal areas greatly reduces the flow of the rivers.

There are very few natural lakes in Hainan. However, there are numerous [[reservoir (water)|reservoir]]s, the largest of which is the [[Songtao Reservoir]] in the central-north area.

===Islands===
{{Main|Islands of Hainan}}

====Nearby islands====
Several small islands exist around the coast of Hainan Island:
*[[Dazhou Island]] is located about {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} off the coast of [[Wanning]]
*[[Haidian Island]], on the north coast, is part of Haikou City
*[[Nanwan Monkey Island]], in actuality a peninsula
*[[Phoenix Island]] is an artificial resort island currently under construction in [[Sanya Bay]].
*[[Wuzhizhou Island]] is located within [[Haitang Bay]]
*[[Xinbu Island]] is located directly to the east of [[Haidian Island]]

Due to their close proximity to the main island, the flora, fauna, and the climate are very similar.

====Disputed islands====
{{See also|South China Sea Islands}}
[[File:South China Sea claims map.svg|thumb|Maritime claims of [[South China Sea]]]]
<!--[[Sansha]]-->
{{location map+ |South China Sea |width=250 |float=right
|caption= Location of the major islands in [[Sansha]] <br />
Legend： [[File:Black_star.svg|8px]] {{color|black| Black：<big>'''{{nowrap|Sansha (Pref. seat)}}'''</big> [[Woody Island (South China Sea)|Yongxing]]}} [[File:Pink_pog.svg|8px]] Pink：[[Scarborough Shoal|Huangyan]] [[File: Green_pog.svg|8px]] {{color|green|Green：[[Fiery Cross Reef|Yongshu]]}} [[File:Blue_pog.svg|8px]] {{color|blue|Blue：[[Mischief Reef|Meiji]]}} [[File:Purple_pog.svg|8px]] {{color|purple|Purple：[[Subi Reef|Zhubi]]}} [[File: Orange_pog.svg|8px]] {{color|orange|Orange：[[Cuarteron Reef|Huayang]]}} [[File:Yellow_pog.svg|8px]] Yellow：[[Gaven Reefs|Nanxun]] [[File:Red_pog.svg|8px]] {{color|red|Red：[[Johnson South Reef|Chiguo]]}} [[File:Brown_pog.svg|8px]] {{color|brown|Brown：[[Hughes Reef|Dongmen]]}}
|places=
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=10 |lat=16.83 |long=112.34 |label=<!--[[Woody Island (South China Sea)|Yongxing]]--> | mark= Black_star.svg }}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=8 |lat=15.183333 |long=117.766667 |label=<!--[[Scarborough Shoal|Huangyan]]--> | mark= Pink pog.svg }}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=8 |lat=9.616667 |long=112.966667 |label=<!--[[Fiery Cross Reef|Yongshu]]--> | mark= Green pog.svg }}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=8 |lat=9.9 |long=115.533333 |label=<!--[[Mischief Reef|Meiji]]--> | mark  =Blue pog.svg}}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=8 |lat=10.9133 |long=114.062 |label=<!--[[Subi Reef|Zhubi] --> | mark= Purple pog.svg }}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=5 |lat=8.883333 |long=112.851389 |label=<!--[[Cuarteron Reef|Huayang]]--> | mark= Orange pog.svg }}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=5 |lat=10.213889 |long=114.233333 |label=<!--[[Gaven_Reefs|Nanxun]]--> | mark= Yellow pog.svg }}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=5 |lat=9.715 |long=114.287 |label=<!--[[Johnson South Reef|Chiguo]]--> | mark  =Red pog.svg}}
{{location map~ |South China Sea |marksize=5 |lat=9.883333 |long=114.45 |label=<!--[[Hughes Reef |Dongmen]]--> | mark= Brown pog.svg}}
}}
<!--[[Sansha]]-->

A number of small islands, which are located hundreds of kilometers to the south, are claimed and administered by [[Sansha]] as part of Hainan Province.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hainan.gov.cn/code/V3/map |script-title=zh:电子地图 – 海南省人民政府网站 |publisher=Hainan People's Government |access-date=9 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805085902/http://hainan.gov.cn/code/V3/map/ |archive-date=5 August 2010 }}</ref> Sovereignty of these islands is however disputed. These islands include:

*[[Paracel Islands]] Xisha Islands – "The West-sands" – claimed by [[Vietnam]], the PRC and the [[Republic of China|Republic of China (Taiwan, ROC)]]
**[[Money Island, Paracel Islands]]
**[[Rocky Island, South China Sea]]
**[[Tree Island, South China Sea]]
**[[Triton Island]]
**[[Woody Island, South China Sea]]
*[[Zhongsha Islands]] – "The Middle-sands"
*[[Spratly Islands]] – Nansha Islands – "The South-sands" are subject to claims by Vietnam, the PRC, ROC, [[Malaysia]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Brunei]].
**[[Spratly Island]]
**[[Flat Island (Spratly)]]
**[[Taiping Island]]
**[[James Shoal]] (southernmost point)
**[[Loaita Island]]
**[[Namyit Island]]
**[[Nanshan Island]]
**[[Sin Cowe Island]]
**[[Thitu Island]]
**[[West York Island]]

===Environment===
Compared to most of mainland China, the air quality of Hainan is significantly better since it is not affected by factory pollution, which has adversely affected the air on the mainland. Throughout 2012, Hainan had the highest air quality in the country for 351 days.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

The provincial government's environmental protection campaign has taken action against a number of industrial plants. During 2012, several outdated manufacturing facilities had their business licenses revoked, and 175 cases related to illegal sewage discharge were handled.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Total sulfur dioxide emissions for the province were 34,000 tons in 2012, a 3 percent year-on-year reduction. In 2011, smog emissions were reduced 6.3 percent to 15,000 tons.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Protected areas include the [[Yinggeling National Nature Reserve|Yinggeling]]-Limushan and [[Wuzhi Mountain|Wuzhishan]]-Diaoluoshan nature reserves.<ref name = oneearth/>

===Climate===
{{climate chart
| Hainan Island
| 17| 24| 22
| 18| 25| 25
| 20| 28| 39
| 23| 31| 91
| 25| 33| 187
| 26| 33| 193
| 25| 33| 252
| 25| 32| 297
| 24| 31| 308
| 23| 29| 279
| 21| 27| 91
| 18| 24| 48
| float=right
| clear=left
| source = <ref name = "nasa">{{Cite web|url= http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php|title= NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index|access-date= 30 January 2016|publisher= NASA|archive-date= 10 May 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200510015442/https://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php}}</ref>
}}
The climate of Hainan is mostly tropical. The island's two largest cities, [[Haikou]] and [[Sanya]], both possess a [[Tropical climate|tropical Köppen climate]]. The annual average temperature ranges from {{convert|23|to|28|°C|°F}}, [[Haikou]] is {{convert|24.7|°C|°F}}, [[Sanya]] is {{convert|26.5|°C|°F}}. The coldest months are January when temperatures drop to {{convert|17|to|24|°C|°F}}; the hottest months are June and July, and the temperatures are {{convert|26|to|31|°C|°F}}. The daily average temperature in Hainan in all months is well above {{convert|10|°C|°F}}.

The summer in the northern part is hotter and, {{citation needed span|(for more than 20 days in a year, the temperature can be higher than {{convert|35|°C|°F}}|date=July 2014}})

<!--too much maritime moderation to be true-->. The average annual precipitation is {{convert|1500|to|2000|mm|in|sp=us}} and can be as high as {{convert|2400|mm|sp=us}} in central and eastern areas, and as low as {{convert|900|mm|sp=us}} in the coastal areas of the southwest. Parts of Hainan lie in the path of [[typhoon]]s, and 70% of the annual precipitation is derived from typhoons and the summer rainy season. Major flooding occurs due to typhoons, which can cause many problems for local residents.

====Annual fog====
From January to February, the island of Hainan is often affected by thick fog, particularly in coastal areas and the northern part of the island. This is caused by cold winter air from the north coming into contact with the warmer sea, causing the moisture that evaporates from the sea to be condensed into fog. The fog remains from day to night, and is evenly distributed. Visibility may be reduced to {{Convert|50|m||sp=us}} for days at a time. During this period, residents normally keep windows shut. The moisture in the air is so extreme that the walls in homes weep, and floors often accumulate a layer of water. {{citation needed|date=March 2014}}

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Near Xinlong, Hainan - 01.JPG|thumb|right|This view in [[Wanning]] near the southeast coast is typical of the inland countryside.]]
Hainan has over {{convert|1,500|km2|abbr=on}} of tropical forest, in which can be found over 4,600 types of plants and more than 570 species of animals.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Observations • iNaturalist |url=https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=120597&view=species |access-date=31 March 2024 |website=[[iNaturalist]] |archive-date=31 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331181948/https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=120597&view=species |url-status=live }}</ref> The nature observation database [[INaturalist|iNaturalist.org]] currently lists 6,687 species of plants, animals and [[Fungus|fungi]] as having been observed on Hainan Island (in 2024).<ref name=":2" /> In modern times, however, the small island's natural balance has been threatened, largely due to the introduction of [[Introduced species|exotic species]], as well as human impacts from [[tourism]], [[deforestation]], and the use of [[herbicide]]s, [[pesticide]]s and other such [[pollutant]]s. A report from the Department of Land, Environment and Resources of Hainan Province states that 200 species are near extinction, with six plant species, such as ''Maytenus hainanensis'' and ''Sciaphila tenella'', having been declared extinct.<ref name="english.cri.cn">{{cite web|url=http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/05/02/2724s696818.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708010758/http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/05/02/2724s696818.htm |archive-date=8 July 2012 |title=200 Species on Verge of Extinction in Hainan |publisher=English.cri.cn |access-date=16 November 2012}}</ref>

Two ecoregions cover the island. The [[South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests]] cover the lowlands, and extend onto the adjacent mainland. The [[Hainan Island monsoon rainforests]] covers the interior of the island, and includes montane rain forests with a more seasonal climate and more [[deciduous]] trees.<ref name = oneearth>Wikramanayake, Eric. [https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/hainan-island-monsoon-rainforests Hainan Island Monsoon Rainforests]. One Earth. Retrieved 3 January 2024.</ref>

===Flora===
The majority of Hainan's land area is covered in forest, with 61.5% total coverage. At the end of 2012, nearly 210,000 hectares (518,921 acres) of forest-cover was reported–an increase of {{Convert|34133|ha||abbr=}} from the previous year. A further {{Convert|1187|ha|}} of [[Poaceae|grasses]] and trees have been planted along the province's highways.<ref name="chinadaily.com.cn">GDP-2020 is a preliminary data {{cite press release |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202201/20/WS61e8ca36a310cdd39bc823c1.html |title=China's Hainan sees robust economic growth in 2021 |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Hainan Yellow Lantern Chili 05.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hainan yellow lantern chili]]]]
There are around 53 [[Genus|genera]], belonging to 29 [[Family (biology)|families]], of wild [[fruit]]s, [[herb]]s and other significant [[crop]]s growing on Hainan—both native and introduced—including several types of [[banana]] (''[[Musa (genus)|Musa]]'' sp.), as well as [[cashew]] (''[[Cashew|Anacardium occidentale]]''), mango (''[[Mangifera indica]]''), fiber agave ([[Sisal|''Agave sisalana'']]), pineapple (''[[Pineapple|Ananas comosus]]''), bitter melon (''[[Momordica charantia]]''), ivy gourd (''[[Coccinia grandis]]''), giant taro (''[[Alocasia macrorrhizos]]''), Asian taro (''[[Alocasia odora|A. odora]]''), Malabar spinach (''[[Basella alba]]'') and papaya (''[[Papaya|Carica papaya]]'').<ref>Gwinnell, Philip; Han, Bin (2010), ''China's Emerging Jewel, Hainan, The Definitive Guide'', {{ISBN|978-7-5501-0016-9}}., p.23-26</ref> Four species of [[Piperaceae|pepper]] grow on the island as well, including the economically significant black pepper (''[[Black pepper|Piper nigrum]]''). At least 25-30 species belonging to the order [[Zingiberales]] grow on Hainan, including numerous types of [[ginger]], [[galangal]], [[Canna (plant)|canna]], [[turmeric]] (''[[Curcuma]]'' sp.) and prayer-plants ([[Marantaceae]]), among others. Coconuts (''[[Coconut|Cocos]]'' sp.) are a fairly common sight along the coastline. [[Tree]]s found on Hainan include at least 18 species of ''[[Ficus]]'', the Hainan white pine (''[[Pinus fenzeliana]]''), Tenasserim pine (''[[Pinus latteri]]'') and several species of orchid tree (''[[Bauhinia]]'').

4,200 known species of plants are native to the island, including several [[Endemism|endemic]] species, such as those within the genera ''[[Wenchengia]]'' and ''[[Metapetrocosmea]]''.<ref name = oneearth/> Additionally, the ''[[Cathayanthe]]'' and ''[[Chunia]]'' genera are found only on Hainan and in northern Vietnam.

Notable botanical species include:
* [[Hainan yellow lantern chili]] — a [[Capsicum|pepper]] similar to the [[Scotch bonnet]].
* ''[[Cephalotaxus hainanensis]]'' — a species of plum-yew.

===Fauna===
Even with over ten million human inhabitants, Hainan contains several protected areas and wildlife preserves. The most ubiquitous smaller species on the island include such animals as [[frog]]s, [[toad]]s, [[Gekkonidae|geckos]], [[skink]]s, and [[Butterfly|butterflies]]; as with many adjacent tropical regions, the [[Arthropod]]a and [[invertebrate]]s are well-represented here, with [[mosquito]]es naturally being very common at certain times of the year. The swarms of biting, flying insects actually play a key role in island [[food chain]]s and [[ecosystem]]s, not only being consumed by many other species (such as [[bat]]s and [[bird]]s) but serving as [[pollinator]]s for many types of [[flowering plant]]s. Hainan's lakes and waterways are populated with various freshwater fishes, such as [[carp]] and [[catfish]], whose [[Juvenile fish|fry]] readily consume both mosquito eggs and larvae (laid on the water's surface) for sustenance.

About 100 [[mammal]]ian species are found on Hainan, with the [[Hainan black crested gibbon]] (''Nomascus hainanus''), the [[Hainan hare]] (''Lepus hainanus''), the [[Hainan moonrat|Hainan gymnure]], or moonrat (''Neohylomys hainanensis''), and the [[Hainan flying squirrel]] (''Hylopetes electilis'') all being [[Endemism|endemic]] to the island. Larger native mammals include the [[Asiatic black bear|Asiatic black]] or "moon" bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), [[sambar deer|sambar]] (''Rusa unicolor''), [[Eurasian otter]] (''L. lutra''), the [[crab-eating mongoose]] (''Herpestes urva'') and the [[leopard cat]] (''Felis bengalensis''), which are considered a species of conservation concern.<ref name="oneearth" /> Other mammals include [[Siberian chipmunk]]s (''Tamias sibiricus''), squirrels, [[masked palm civet]]s and the [[yellow-bellied weasel]].

There are 362 known bird species.<ref name="english.cri.cn"/> Seabirds such as gulls are not generally seen. Egrets and [[Black-winged kite]]s are common in agricultural areas. The [[Hainan partridge]], [[white-eared night heron]], [[Hainan leaf warbler]], and [[yellow-billed nuthatch]] are endemic to the island.<ref name = oneearth/>

Secretive, and sometimes less commonly seen, are the [[Serpentes|snakes]], such as the [[Asian palm pit viper]], the [[red bamboo snake]], and cobras.

In the seas surrounding Hainan, [[sea turtle]]s and [[whale shark]]s are regular visitors.

Hainan island has rich bio-diversity of [[cetacean]]s and is the site of studying these in Chinese waters.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://old.csdata.org/finalPDF/31/%E6%B5%B7%E5%8D%97%E5%B2%9B%E9%B2%B8%E7%B1%BB%E6%90%81%E6%B5%85%E8%AE%B0%E5%BD%95%E6%95%B0%E6%8D%AE%E5%BA%93%EF%BC%881993%EF%BD%9E2015%E5%B9%B4%EF%BC%89.pdf |script-title=zh:海南岛鲸类搁浅记录数据库（1993 ～ 2015 年） |script-journal=zh:中国科学数据 |year=2016 |volume=2 |doi=10.11922/csdata.170.2015.0029 |access-date=5 March 2017 |archive-date=5 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305194332/http://old.csdata.org/finalPDF/31/%E6%B5%B7%E5%8D%97%E5%B2%9B%E9%B2%B8%E7%B1%BB%E6%90%81%E6%B5%85%E8%AE%B0%E5%BD%95%E6%95%B0%E6%8D%AE%E5%BA%93%EF%BC%881993%EF%BD%9E2015%E5%B9%B4%EF%BC%89.pdf |title=Ink 500 error }}</ref> Many whales such as [[North Pacific right whale]]s, western [[gray whale]]s, [[humpback whale]]s, and [[blue whale]]s (all of these are almost extinct in Chinese waters)<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Sanya Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering at The Chinese Academy Of Sciences|title=Identification Guide for Marine Mammals In the South China Sea|url=http://124.16.218.4/index.php|access-date=19 January 2015|archive-date=19 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119085559/http://124.16.218.4/index.php}}</ref> were historically seen in the winter and spring to mate and calve. These gentle giants of the sea had been hunted heavily and were wiped out by Japanese whalers (established whaling stations on various sites on Chinese and Korean coasts including Hainan and [[Daya Bay]]). A few [[Bryde's whale]]s and [[minke whale]]s may still occur in the adjacent waters along with on [[Leizhou Peninsula]] and the [[Gulf of Tonkin]].<ref>{{lang|zh-hans|中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会}}. [{{lang|zh-hans|濒危物种数据库 – 鳀鲸}} Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1879]. the [[CITES]]. Retrieved on 7 December 2014</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wang |first1=Peilei (王丕烈) |year=1984 |url=http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFD1984-BIRD198406018.htm |script-title=zh:中国近海鲸类的分布 |publisher={{lang|zh-hans|辽宁省海洋水产研究所}} (Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute) |website=CNKI.NET |access-date=7 December 2014 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021004053/http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFD1984-BIRD198406018.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Smaller species of [[whale]] and [[dolphin]]s, such as [[short-finned pilot whale]]s<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/environment/news/2008-08/06/content_16144578.htm|title=Injured whale could survive after intensive care|website=[[China Internet Information Center]]|access-date=29 April 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054949/http://www.china.org.cn/environment/news/2008-08/06/content_16144578.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[pantropical spotted dolphin]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cetabase.blogspot.jp/2011/08/jun-22nd-2011-pantropical-spotted.html|title=Blogger|website=cetabase.blogspot.jp|access-date=8 May 2014|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305192823/http://cetabase.blogspot.jp/2011/08/jun-22nd-2011-pantropical-spotted.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but most notably the endangered [[Chinese white dolphin]]. Declared sanctuary for the species extends along the coasts. These dolphins may appear among clearer waters such as vicinity to [[Sanya]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hnfjz.com/about-op-con-gid-182148398614.html |script-title=zh:海南海洋生态保护良好，成为大型珍稀海洋动物的"乐园" |website=hnfjz.com |access-date=5 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305201126/http://www.hnfjz.com/about-op-con-gid-182148398614.html |archive-date=5 March 2017 }}.</ref>

[[Dugong]]s still occur in small number, mostly on [[Gulf of Tonkin]] side.

Notable species include:

* [[Hainan gymnure]] (''Neohylomys hainanensis'' or Hainan moonrat) is a small mammal.
* [[Hainan partridge]] (''Arborophila ardens'') is a species of bird endemic to Hainan Island.
* [[Hainan peacock-pheasant]] (''Polyplectron katsumatae'') is an endangered species of the family [[Phasianidae]].
* [[Hainan black crested gibbon]] (''Nomascus hainanus'') is one of the world's most endangered primates. [[Seacology]], a non-profit organization in Berkeley, California, United States, initiated a project to protect the highly endangered Hainan gibbon in exchange for scholarships for the children of four villages near [[Hainan Bawangling National Nature Reserve]].
* [[Hainan hare]] (''Lepus hainanus'') is a species of hare endemic to Hainan.
* A subspecies of the [[leopard cat]] (''Prionailurus bengalensis alleni'') is endemic to Hainan.
* [[Hainan leaf-warbler]] (''Phylloscopus hainanus'') is an Old World warbler in the family [[Phylloscopidae]].
* [[Amolops torrentis|Little torrent frog]] (''Amolops torrentis'') is a species of frog found only on Hainan Island.

==Demographics==
[[File:Hainan ethnolinguistic 1967.png|right|thumb|Historical ethnolinguistic groups on Hainan, 1967 map. The dark green region is dominated by the [[Hainanese]] varieties of [[Min Chinese]], while people in the light green region mainly speak [[Hlai languages|Li/Hlai languages]] <br />{{smaller|([[:File:China ethnolinguistic 1967.jpg|Link to entire map]] including key)}}.]]
The population density of Hainan is low compared to most coastal Chinese provinces.

In 2000, the ethnic groups of Hainan included the Han-Chinese [[Hainan people|Hainanese]], who are the majority (84% of the population) and speak the Min language, the [[Li people|Li (Hlai)]] (14.7% of the population); the [[Miao people|Miao]] (0.7%) and the [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]] (0.6%).{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} The Li, who speak a Tai-Kradai language, are the largest indigenous group on the island in terms of population. Also found on the island are the [[Utsul]]s, descendants of [[Cham people (Asia)|Cham]] refugees, who are classified as [[Hui people|Hui]] by the Chinese government because of their Islamic religion. There is a [[Tanka people|Tanka community]] that lives at Sanya Bay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2011-02/24/content_12068512.htm|title='Water gypsies' fear lifestyle sea change|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=29 April 2017|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215195423/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2011-02/24/content_12068512.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Li people mainly reside in the nine cities and counties in the middle and southern part of Hainan – the cities of Sanya, [[Wuzhishan City|Wuzhishan]] and Dongfang, the Li autonomous counties of [[Baisha Li Autonomous County|Baisha]], Lingshui, Ledong, [[Changjiang Li Autonomous County|Changjiang]], and the 'Li and Miao Autonomous Counties of [[Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County|Qiongzhong]] and [[Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County|Baoting]]'. Some others live elsewhere on Hainan with other ethnic groups in Danzhou, Wanning, Qionghai, Lingshui and Tunchang. The area inhabited by the Li ethnic group totals {{convert|18700|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}, about 55 percent of the province's total.<ref name=sunnysanya>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunnysanya.com/hainan_island/population_people_hainan_island.asp |title=Population and People of Hainan Island |access-date=4 June 2009 |archive-date=6 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306012317/http://www.sunnysanya.com/hainan_island/population_people_hainan_island.asp }}</ref>
[[File:Haikou skyline 2 - 2009 09 07.jpg|thumb|right|[[Haikou]], the capital of the province as seen looking south from [[Evergreen Park (Haikou)|Evergreen Park]], a large park located on the north shore of the city]]

Although they are indigenous to the island and do not speak a Chinese language, the [[Ong-Be language|Limgao (Ong-Be)]] people near the capital (8% of the Hainan population) are counted as Han Chinese by the Chinese government.

===Religion===
[[File:East Mosque in Sanya, China.jpg|thumb|The East Mosque in [[Sanya]] is an example of [[Islam in China|Chinese-Islamic]] architecture.]]
Most of the Hainanese population practices [[Chinese folk religion]] and [[Chinese Buddhism]]. The [[Li people|Li]] population has a [[Theravada]] Buddhist minority. Most of the [[Utsul]]s of the island, a branch of [[Cham people]] living near [[Sanya]], are [[Muslim]]s. Because Hainan was a point in the travel route of missionaries, there are some [[Christians]]. According to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009, Christians constitute 0.48% of the province's population.<ref name="Wang2015">China General Social Survey (CGSS) 2009. Report by: [https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/baylor-ir/bitstream/handle/2104/9326/WANG-THESIS-2015.pdf?sequence=1 Xiuhua Wang (2015, p. 15)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925123928/https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/baylor-ir/bitstream/handle/2104/9326/WANG-THESIS-2015.pdf?sequence=1 |date=25 September 2015 }}</ref>

Nanshan Park is the center of Buddhism on Hainan. Encompassing more than {{convert|50|km2|abbr=on}} of forest. The site includes countless grand temples, statues and spiritual gardens the likes of Savior Garden and Longevity Valley, with intricately trimmed hedges and abundant in lotus flowers, a venerated symbol in Buddhism meaning virtue or purity.

At the heart of the valley is the grand [[Nanshan Temple (Sanya)|Nanshan Temple]], its gates flanked by stone figures of Buddha in front of the Tang dynasty-style entrance. The interior displays images of the Four Heavenly Kings amid statues of other deities enshrined in renderings of stone, gold and jade.

Perhaps{{Weasel inline|date=February 2023}} the most popular{{According to whom|date=February 2023}} site within the Nanshan Buddhist Cultural Zone is the awe-inspiring{{According to whom|date=February 2023}} stone rendering of the Bodhisattva Guan Yin, emerging out of the South China Sea to stand at 108 meters{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}, taller than the [[Statue of Liberty]]{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}.

The Nanshan Buddhist Cultural Zone is visited by thousands of tourists and pilgrims each year who come pay homage to the site that plays a significant role in the religion in China and to sample some of the finest Buddhist vegan cuisine on the island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wenewsit.com/2011/06/spirituality-by-the-sea-in-hainan/ |title=wenewsit.com |publisher=wenewsit.com |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921112717/http://wenewsit.com/2011/06/spirituality-by-the-sea-in-hainan/ |archive-date=21 September 2011 }}</ref>

===Languages===
Most people in Hainan speak a variety of [[Min Chinese]] known as [[Hainanese]]. Other Chinese varieties and non-Chinese languages are spoken as well:

* [[Standard Mandarin]] (''Putonghua'') is widely known as in the rest of China. Mandarin is especially common in the city of [[Sanya]].
** In Yacheng city (as well as its vicinity several dozen miles west of Huihui and Huixin), the so-called [[military speech]] dialect of Mandarin (the official language of the southwest among the northern Chinese dialects) is spoken.
* [[Cantonese]] is spoken by some, particularly in [[Haikou]].
* In Yanglan village in the northeast, two Min dialects, both closely related to Cantonese, are spoken: the [[Mai dialect]] and the [[Danzhou dialect]], spoken in Haipo Village in the south, which is the same dialect as the dialect spoken in Danzhou in Dan Country in the northern part of the island.
* The [[Li people|Li]], [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]] and [[Ong-Be language|Limgao]] speak [[Tai–Kadai languages]].
* The [[Miao people|Miao]] speak [[Hmong–Mien]] languages.
* There are roughly 4,500 [[Utsul]] people living in the villages of Yanglan ({{lang|zh-hans|羊栏}}) and Huixin ({{lang|zh|回新}}), two villages on the outskirts of Sanya. They speak the [[Tsat language]], a member of the [[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]] [[Chamic languages]].

==== Sociolinguistics ====
Standard Mandarin serves as a ''[[lingua franca]]'' between different ethnic groups. Adults who are members of a minority also have quite high literacy skills in Chinese. Most adults speak several Chinese dialects, and some also speak [[Li language|Li]].

When Chams interact with the Hainanese dialect speakers from within Hainan Province, they use the Hainanese dialect, though youngsters generally use Mandarin. Not many can communicate in Li, so the Hainanese dialect or Mandarin is often used.

In the market place and within the Sanya Municipality, the Cham speakers use Cham among themselves, and with others mostly use the Hainanese dialect. However, in the market places near the government seat of Yanglan Township, the Chams either use the Hainanese dialect or the Mai dialect.<ref name="Thurgood 2006">Thurgood, Graham. [http://www.sil.org/asia/philippines/ical/papers/thurgood-LanguageContact.pdf "Sociolinguistics and contact-induced language change: Hainan Cham, Anong, and Phan Rang Cham."]. 2006.  Tenth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, 17–20 January 2006, Palawan, Philippines. Linguistic Society of the Philippines and SIL International.</ref>

===Life expectancy and longevity===
The people of Hainan live longer than those on the mainland. At the end of 2017, there were 1,565 [[centenarian]]s in Hainan. For every 100,000 people in the province, 17.13 were centenarians. As of 8 March 2018, there were 287,700 residents over 80 years of age, making up 3.15% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/30/c_137641618.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070445/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/30/c_137641618.htm|archive-date=2 December 2018|title=More than 1,500 centenarians live in south China's Hainan – Xinhua &#124; English.news.cn|website=www.xinhuanet.com|access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref>

==Government==
[[File:“朱庐执刲”银印.JPG|thumb|[[Han dynasty]] seal unearthed in Hainan in 1984]]
[[File:“朱庐执刲”银印 阴刻.JPG|thumb|Han seal text: "Zhulu zhikui" – Zhuya commandery was abolished in 46 BC and reorganized as Zhulu county under [[Hepu Commandery]]]]

Even while Hainan Island was a part of [[Guangdong]] it had a considerable amount of local autonomy; the southern half of the island was an [[autonomous prefecture]]. Hainan's elevation to provincial level in 1988 increased its [[accountability]] to the [[Central People's Government]], but by designating the new province a [[Special economic zones of China|special economic zone]] the central government expressed its intent to allow Hainan maximum flexibility in devising programs to facilitate [[foreign direct investment|foreign investment]] and [[economic growth]]. Administratively, the province has been divided into five economic major districts.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of Hainan|List of provincial leaders of the People's Republic of China}}
The politics of Hainan is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in [[mainland China]].

The [[Governor of Hainan]] is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Hainan. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Hainan [[Chinese Communist Party]] Provincial Committee Secretary or [[Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary|CCP Party Chief]]. The current Hainan Party Chief is [[Shen Xiaoming]].

===Legislation===
On 13 April 1988, the First Session of the Seventh [[National People's Congress]] decided to establish Hainan Province, and at the same time granted the Hainan Provincial People's Congress and its Standing Committee special legislative power.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-04/08/c_1122651375.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409083147/http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-04/08/c_1122651375.htm|archive-date=9 April 2018|title = 海南用好特区立法权为发展"保驾护航"-新华网}}</ref>
After the 2019 free trade port plan is proposed, Hainan can enact legislation in economic, cultural, local affairs, social management, etc., and implement it in the Hainan Free Trade Zone (port).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hainan.gov.cn/zxtadata-8903.html |title=关于完善扩大海南特区立法权、促进海南自贸区（港）建设的提案 |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=16 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916223327/https://www.hainan.gov.cn/zxtadata-8903.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Intelligence===
Per the research conducted by [[Information Warfare Monitor]], Hainan is the physical location of [[GhostNet]]. The Chinese government has officially denied the existence of a cyber war and intelligence operations anywhere on the island.

===Administrative===
In the official [[People's Republic of China|PRC]] territorial claim, Hainan Province includes not just one island, but also some two hundred [[South China Sea Islands]]. While the containment of the South China Sea Islands means that Hainan Province has a very large water body, it has a disproportionally small land area. [[James Shoal]] ({{lang|zh-hans|曾母暗沙}}, Zēngmǔ Ànshā), which is presently marked by the PRC, signifies the country's southernmost border. But [[Malaysia]] also claims that it is on their continental shelf.

===Subdivisions===
{{main|List of administrative divisions of Hainan|List of township-level divisions of Hainan}}
Hainan Province uses a slightly different administrative system than the other [[provinces of China]]. Most other provinces are divided entirely into [[Prefectures of the People's Republic of China|prefecture]]-level divisions, each of which is then divided entirely into [[Counties of the People's Republic of China|county]]-level divisions. County-level divisions generally do not come directly under the province. In Hainan, nearly all county-level divisions (the eight districts excepted) come directly under the province. This method of division is due to Hainan's relatively sparse population, totaling 9.26 million as of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2018/indexch.htm|script-title=zh:中国统计年鉴—2018|website=www.stats.gov.cn|access-date=10 August 2019|archive-date=3 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403021245/http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2018/indexch.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; width:90%; font-size:smaller; text-align:center"
! colspan="9" |Administrative divisions of Hainan
|-
| colspan="9" style="font-size:larger" | <div style="position: relative" class="center">
{{Image label begin|image=Administrative Division Hainan (PRC claimed).svg|width=781|link=|font-size=85%}}
{{Image label|x=845|y=180|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Haikou]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=375|y=890|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Sanya]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=1180|y=600|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Sansha]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=360|y=300|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Danzhou]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=410|y=670|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Wuzhishan City|Wuzhishan]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=845|y=470|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Qionghai]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=1025|y=210|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Wenchang]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=775|y=660|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Wanning]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=110|y=585|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=800|y=340|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Ding'an County|Ding'an<br />County]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=655|y=420|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Tunchang County|Tunchang<br />County]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=645|y=245|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Chengmai County|Chengmai<br />County]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=520|y=195|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Lingao County|Lingao<br />County]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=335|y=475|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Baisha Li Autonomous County|Baisha<br />Li AC]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=180|y=475|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Changjiang Li Autonomous County|Changjiang<br />Li AC]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=200|y=740|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Ledong Li Autonomous County|Ledong<br />Li AC]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=610|y=800|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Lingshui Li Autonomous County|Lingshui<br />Li AC]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=415|y=770|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County|Baoting<br />Li and Miao AC]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=500|y=555|scale=781/1420|text='''[[Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County|Qiongzhong<br />Li and Miao AC]]'''}}
{{Image label|x=100|y=100|scale=781/1420|text=<span style="color: #CCFF99;">'''█'''</span> <span style="color: grey;">'''Provincial administered<br />county-level divisions'''</span>}}
{{Image label|x=520|y=880|scale=798/1330|text=<span style="color: grey;">☐ '''Sovereignty over Sansha is disputed, see<br />[[Territorial disputes in the South China Sea]].'''</span>}}
{{Image label end}}</div>
|-
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | [[Administrative division codes of the People's Republic of China|Division code]]<ref>{{cite web |language=zh-hans |url=http://files2.mca.gov.cn/cws/201502/20150225163817214.html |script-title=zh:中华人民共和国县以上行政区划代码 |publisher=[[Ministry of Civil Affairs]] |access-date=11 December 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113603/http://files2.mca.gov.cn/cws/201502/20150225163817214.html }}</ref>
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Division
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Area in km<sup>2</sup><ref name="nj2013">{{in lang|zh}}{{cite book|language=zh-hans|author=Shenzhen Bureau of Statistics|publisher=[[:zh:中国统计出版社|China Statistics Print]] |script-title=zh:《深圳统计年鉴2014》|url=http://www.sztj.gov.cn/nj2014/indexce.htm|access-date=29 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512184740/http://www.sztj.gov.cn/nj2014/indexce.htm|archive-date=12 May 2015}}</ref>
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Population 2020<ref>{{cite book| author1=Census Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China| author2=Population and Employment Statistics Division of the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China | script-title=zh:中国2010人口普查分乡、镇、街道资料|date=2012|publisher=[[:zh:中国统计出版社|China Statistics Print]] |location=Beijing|isbn=978-7-5037-6660-2|edition=1}}</ref>
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Seat
!! scope="col" colspan="4" | Divisions<ref>{{cite book |language=zh-hans |author=[[Ministry of Civil Affairs]] |script-title=zh:《中国民政统计年鉴2014》|date=August 2014 |publisher=[[:zh:中国统计出版社|China Statistics Print]] |isbn= 978-7-5037-7130-9}}</ref>
|-
!! scope="col" width="45" | [[District (China)|Districts]]
!! scope="col" width="45" | [[Counties of the People's Republic of China|Counties]]
!! scope="col" width="45" | [[Autonomous counties of the People's Republic of China|Aut. counties]]
!! scope="col" width="45" | [[County-level city|CL cities]]
|- style="font-weight: bold"
! 460000 !! Hainan Province
| 35,191.00 || 10,081,232 || [[Haikou]] city || 10 || 4 || 6 || 5
|-
! 460100 !! [[Haikou]] city
| 2,304.80 || 2,873,358 || [[Xiuying District]] || 4 ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 460200 !! [[Sanya]] city
| 1,910.67 || 1,031,396 || [[Jiyang District, Sanya|Jiyang District]] || 4 ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 460300 !! [[Sansha]] city*
| 788.00 || 2,333 || [[Xisha District]] || 2 ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 460400 !! [[Danzhou]] city<sup>#</sup>
| 3,394.00 || 954,259 || ''[[Nada, Hainan|Nada]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|   ||bgcolor="grey"|
|- style = "background:lightgrey; height: 2pt"
| colspan = "12" |
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469001 !! [[Wuzhishan City|Wuzhishan]] city**
| 1,131.00 || 112,269 || ''[[Tongza]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469002 !! [[Qionghai]] city**
| 1,710.14 || 528,238 || ''[[Jiaji]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469005 !! [[Wenchang]] city**
| 2,459.18 || 560,894 || ''[[Wencheng, Wenchang|Wencheng]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469006 !! [[Wanning]] city**
| 1,899.90 || 545,992 || ''[[Wancheng, Wanning|Wancheng]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469007 !! [[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]] city**
| 2,272.29 || 444,458 || ''[[Basuo]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469021 !! [[Ding'an County]]**
| 1,187.00 || 284,690 || ''[[Dingcheng, Hainan|Dingcheng]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469022 !! [[Tunchang County]]**
| 1,223.97 || 255,335 || ''[[Tuncheng]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469023 !! [[Chengmai County]]**
| 2,076.28 || 497,953 || ''[[Jinjiang, Hainan|Jinjiang]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469024 !! [[Lingao County]]**
| 1,343.33 || 420,594 || ''[[Lincheng, Hainan|Lincheng]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469025 !! [[Baisha Li Autonomous County]]**
| 2,117.20 || 164,699 || ''[[Yacha, Hainan|Yacha]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469026 !! [[Changjiang Li Autonomous County]]**
| 1,617.70 || 232,124 || ''[[Shilu, Hainan|Shilu]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469027 !! [[Ledong Li Autonomous County]]**
| 2,763.53 || 464,435 || ''[[Baoyou]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469028 !! [[Lingshui Li Autonomous County]]**
| 1,121.24 || 372,511 || ''[[Yelin]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469029 !! [[Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County]]**
| 1,166.78 || 156,108 || ''[[Baocheng, Hainan|Baocheng]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
! 469030 !! [[Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County]]**
| 2,704.00 || 179,586 || ''[[Yinggen]] town'' ||bgcolor="grey"|  ||bgcolor="grey"|  || 1 ||bgcolor="grey"| 
|-
| colspan = "12" | <nowiki>*</nowiki> – Sovereignty over Sansha (including the Paracel, Spratly and Zhongsha Islands) is disputed as of {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.<br />
<nowiki>**</nowiki> – Directly administered county-level divisions<br />
<nowiki>#</nowiki> – direct-piped cities – does not contain any county-level divisions
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="text-font:90%; width:auto; text-align:center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
! colspan="5" |Administrative divisions in Chinese and varieties of romanizations
|-
! English !! Chinese !! Pinyin !! Hainanese Romanzation
|-
| '''Hainan Province''' || {{nobold|{{lang|zh|海南省}}}} || '''Hǎinán Shěng''' || '''Hai Nam Teng'''
|-
| [[Haikou]] city || {{lang|zh|海口市}} || Hǎikǒu Shì || Hai Khau Si
|-
| [[Sanya]] city || {{lang|zh-hans|三亚市}} || Sānyà Shì || Tam Ah Si
|-
| [[Sansha]] city || {{lang|zh|三沙市}} || Sānshā Shì || Tam Sa Si
|-
| [[Danzhou]] city || {{lang|zh|儋州市}} || Dānzhōu Shì || Dam Ju Si
|-
| [[Wuzhishan City|Wuzhishan]] city || {{lang|zh|五指山市}} || Wǔzhǐshān Shì || Ngou Ji Tua Si
|-
| [[Qionghai]] city || {{lang|zh-hans|琼海市}} || Qiónghǎi Shì || Kheng Hai Si
|-
| [[Wenchang]] city || {{lang|zh|文昌市}} || Wénchāng Shì || Von Sio Si
|-
| [[Wanning]] city || {{lang|zh-hans|万宁市}} || Wànníng Shì || Van Neng Si
|-
| [[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]] city || {{lang|zh-hans|东方市}} || Dōngfāng Shì || Dang Fang Si
|-
| [[Ding'an County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|定安县}} || Dìng'ān Xiàn || Deng An Kuai
|-
| [[Tunchang County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|屯昌县}} || Túnchāng Xiàn || Ton Siang Kuai
|-
| [[Chengmai County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|澄迈县}} || Chéngmài Xiàn || Deng Mai Kuai
|-
| [[Lingao County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|临高县}} || Língāo Xiàn || Liom Ko Kuai
|-
| [[Baisha Li Autonomous County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|白沙黎族自治县}} || Báishā Lízú Zìzhìxiàn || Be Tua Loitoc Seji Kuai
|-
| [[Changjiang Li Autonomous County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|昌江黎族自治县}} || Chāngjiāng Lízú Zìzhìxiàn  || Siang Kiang Loitoc Seji Kuai
|-
| [[Ledong Li Autonomous County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|乐东黎族自治县}} || Lèdōng Lízú Zìzhìxiàn || Loc Dong Loitoc Seji Kuai
|-
| [[Lingshui Li Autonomous County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|陵水黎族自治县}} || Língshuǐ Lízú Zìzhìxiàn || Leng Tui Loitco Seji Kuai
|-
| [[Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|保亭黎族苗族自治县}} || Bǎotíng Lízú Miáozú Zìzhìxiàn || Bo Deng Loitoc Miautoc Seji Kuai
|-
| [[Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County]] || {{lang|zh-hans|琼中黎族苗族自治县}} || Qióngzhōng Lízú Miáozú Zìzhìxiàn || Kheng Tong Loitoc Miautoc Seji Kuai
|}

====Urban areas====
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size:90%;"
! colspan=5 | Population by urban areas of prefecture & county cities
|-
! # !! Cities !! style="background-color: #aaaaff;"| 2020 Urban area<ref name="2020PRCcensus">{{cite book |author=国务院人口普查办公室、国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司编 |date=2022 |script-title=zh:中国2020年人口普查分县资料 |location=Beijing |publisher=[[:zh:中国统计出版社|China Statistics Print]] |isbn=978-7-5037-9772-9}}</ref> !! style="background-color: #aaaaff;"| 2010 Urban area<ref name="2010PRCcensus">{{cite book |author=国务院人口普查办公室、国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司编 |date=2012 |script-title=zh:中国2010年人口普查分县资料 |location=Beijing |publisher=[[:zh:中国统计出版社|China Statistics Print]] |isbn=978-7-5037-6659-6}}</ref> !! style="background-color: #ffaaaa;" | 2020 City proper
|-
|1||'''[[Haikou]]'''||2,349,239||1,517,410||2,873,358
|-
|2||[[Sanya]]|| 724,854||453,819||1,031,396
|-
|3||[[Danzhou]]||516,043||418,834{{efn|name=Danzhou|Danzhou CLC is currently known as Danzhou PLC after 2010 census.}} ||954,259
|-
|4||[[Wenchang]]||341,862||251,795||560,894
|-
|5||[[Qionghai]]||262,524||194,400||528,238
|-
|6||[[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]]||257,936||153,726||444,458
|-
|7||[[Wanning]]||225,608||221,263||545,992
|-
|8||[[Wuzhishan City|Wuzhishan]]||67,645||53,268||112,269
|-
|9||[[Sansha]]||2,333||style="background:lightgrey;"|{{efn|name=Sansha|Xisha, Nansha, and Zhongsha Administrative Zone was under Sanya PLC jurisdiction. Sansha PLC was established after 2010 census.}}||2,333
|}

===Military base===
{{Main|People's Liberation Army Navy}}
Hainan Island is home to the [[People's Liberation Army Navy]] [[Hainan Submarine Base]] and strategic [[nuclear submarine]] [[Yulin Naval Base|naval harbor]] at [[Yalong Bay]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/china-builds-secret-nuclear-submarine-base-in-south-china-sea|title=China Builds Secret Nuclear Submarine Base in South China Sea|date=2 May 2008|publisher=[[FoxNews.com]]|access-date=3 May 2009|archive-date=24 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524084717/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353961,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The naval base is estimated to be {{convert|60|ft|m}} high, built into hillsides around a military base. The caverns are capable of hiding up to 20 nuclear submarines from [[Reconnaissance satellite|spy satellite]]s. The harbor houses nuclear ballistic missile submarines and is large enough to accommodate [[aircraft carrier]]s. The [[U.S. Department of Defense]] has estimated that China will have five [[type 094 submarine]]s operational by 2010 with each capable of carrying 12 [[JL-2|JL-2 ballistic missiles]]. Two {{convert|950|m|ft|adj=on|sp=us}} piers and three smaller ones would be enough to accommodate two [[carrier strike group]]s or [[amphibious assault ship]]s.

==Economy==
{{multiple image
  | align        = right
  | caption_align = center
  | direction    = vertical
  | footer_align = center
  | footer       = A typical example of an urban development. The above images show the same place in [[Guilinyang]] roughly four  and a half years apart.
  | image1       = Guilinyang downtown 01 - cropped.jpg
  | caption1     = 2012
  | width1       = 200
  | image2       = Guilinyang in 2016 09 - 01 cropped.jpg
  | caption2     = 2016
  | width2       = 200
}}
[[File:Altstadt von Haikou (Hainan).jpg|thumb|Old town of Haikou, 2021]]
Hainan's economy is predominantly agricultural, and more than a half of the island's exports are agricultural products. Hainan's elevation to province-level status (1988), however, was accompanied by its designation as China's largest "[[special economic zone]]", the intent being to hasten the development of the island's plentiful resources. Prior to this, the province had a reputation for being a "[[Wild West]]" area, largely untouched by [[industrialisation|industrialization]]; even today there are relatively few [[factories]] in the province. [[Tourism]] plays an important part of Hainan's economy, thanks largely to its tropical beaches and lush forests. The central government has encouraged foreign investment in Hainan and has allowed the island to rely to a large extent on market forces.<ref>{{cite web |date=6 December 2017 |script-title=zh:海南省人民政府关于扩大对外开放积极利用外资的实施意见 <!--2017年12月6日 琼府〔2017〕93号--> |url=http://xxgk.hainan.gov.cn/hi/HI0101/201712/t20171214_2500764.htm |publisher=Hainan People's Government |access-date=18 April 2018 |archive-date=9 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309190845/http://xxgk.hainan.gov.cn/hi/HI0101/201712/t20171214_2500764.htm }} or [http://www.hainan.gov.cn/hn/yw/zwdt/tj/201712/t20171217_2502515.html hainan.gov]{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Hainan's industrial development largely has been limited to the processing of its mineral and agricultural products, particularly [[rubber]] and [[iron ore]]. Since the 1950s, machinery, farm equipment, and [[textiles]] have been manufactured in the [[Haikou]] area for local consumption. A major constraint on industrial expansion has been an inadequate supply of [[electricity]]. Much of the island's generating capacity is [[hydroelectric]], and it is subject to seasonal fluctuations in stream and river flows.<ref>{{cite web |script-title=zh:海南岛综合开发计划(摘要) |url=http://www.hnszw.org.cn/data/news/2011/09/50401/ |website=hnszw.org |date=30 September 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In December 2009, the government of China announced that it plans to establish Hainan as an "international tourist destination" by 2020.<ref name="thechinaperspective1">{{cite web |url=http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/hainan-province/ |title=Hainan Province: Economic News and Statistics for Hainan's Economy |publisher=Thechinaperspective.com |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-date=24 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324220402/http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/hainan-province/ }}</ref> This announcement contributed to a surge in the province's economy, with a year-on-year increase in investment of 136.9% in the first three months of 2010. Hainan's real estate sector accounted for more than one third of the province's economic growth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-05/10/content_9829683.htm |title=Hainan officials rule out bubble burst |publisher=Chinadaily.com.cn |date=10 May 2010 |access-date=9 August 2010 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804075556/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-05/10/content_9829683.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the Statistical Communiqué of National Economic and Social Development of the statistical authority, the [[gross domestic product|GDP]] of Hainan Province in 2017 was 446.3 billion [[Renminbi|yuan]] (66.1 billion [[United States dollar|US dollars]]), up by 7.0 percent over the previous year. Of this total, the [[value added]] of the primary industry was 97.9 billion yuan (14.5 billion US dollars), up by 3.6 percent, that of the secondary industry was 99.7 billion yuan (14.8 billion US dollars), up by 2.7 percent and that of the tertiary industry was 248.6 billion yuan (36.8 billion US dollars), up by 10.2 percent. The value added of the primary industry accounted for 21.95 percent of the GDP; that of the secondary industry accounted for 22.34 percent; and that of the tertiary industry accounted for 55.71 percent. The per capita GDP in 2017 was 48,430 yuan (7,173 US dollars).<ref name="Communiqué2017">{{cite web |script-title=zh:海南省2017年国民经济和社会发展统计公报 |url=http://www.hainan.gov.cn/hn/zt/szrdl/2018hnslh/2018lhdt/201801/t20180124_2536344.html |publisher=Hainan People's Government |date=24 January 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, [http://www.hinews.cn/news/system/2018/01/24/031403857.shtml hinews.cn (2018-01-24)] or [http://www.wzs.gov.cn/zwgk/tjgb/201802/t20180208_2549286.html wzs.gov (2018-02-08)]{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Agriculture===
[[File:Near Xinlong, Hainan - 02.JPG|thumb|right|One of the many rice fields in Hainan]]
Owing to Hainan's tropical climate, [[paddy rice]] is cultivated extensively in the northeastern lowlands and in the southern mountain valleys.<ref name="thechinaperspective1"/> Leading crops other than rice include [[coconut]], [[palm oil]], [[sisal]], [[tropical fruit]]s (including [[pineapple]]s, of which Hainan is China's leading producer), [[black pepper]], [[coffee]], [[tea]], [[cashews]], and [[sugarcane]].

The hot [[Hainan yellow lantern chili]], a variety similar to the scotch bonnet, is unique to the island, and is grown in the southeast and southwest.

The total tropical crop area of Hainan is 100,000 hectares.<ref name="marketwatch.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ceis-hsf-release-xinhua-hsf-price-indices-in-s-china-haikou-2018-04-23|title=CEIS, HSF release Xinhua HSF Price Indices in S. China Haikou|access-date=30 April 2018|archive-date=25 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625132419/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ceis-hsf-release-xinhua-hsf-price-indices-in-s-china-haikou-2018-04-23}}</ref>

Hainan is a major rubber producer. In the early 20th century [[overseas Chinese|Chinese emigrants]] returning from then [[British Malaya]], introduced [[rubber tree]]s to the island; after 1950, state farms were developed, and Hainan now produces a substantial amount of China's rubber. Natural rubber is now grown on 246,000 hectares of land. This ranks 6th in the world in harvest area and 5th in terms of output.<ref name="marketwatch.com"/>

Hainan has almost 93,000 hectares of [[Areca catechu|areca palm]]s. The product, the [[areca nut]], is consumed locally and also sent to the mainland. Ninety-five percent of China's production of this nut is produced in Hainan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/global/2019-04/05/content_37455633.htm|title=Public health warning a tough nut to crack – Chinadaily.com.cn|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=26 July 2020|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215195023/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/global/2019-04/05/content_37455633.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Domesticated farm animals comprise mainly goats, cows, water buffalo, chickens, geese and ducks.

====Fisheries====
[[File:Fish farms in Chengmai - 01.jpg|thumbnail|[[Fish farm]]s in [[Chengmai]]]]
Grouper, Spanish mackerel, and tuna{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} constitute the bulk of the catch from offshore fishing grounds. Scallops and pearls are raised in shallow bays and basins for local use and export.

Shrimp production is estimated to have been {{convert|120000|to|150000|MT|ST}} in 2007, more than 50% of which was exported. Hainan has over 400 [[shrimp farm|hatcheries]], most being located between Wenchang and Qionghai.

[[Tilapia]] production in 2008 was {{convert|300000|MT|ST}}. The island has an estimated 100,000 local, commercial fish farming families.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euchinawto.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=314&Itemid=36 |title=Sustainable Aquaculture in South China – Shrimp and Tilapia Farming in Hainan and Guangdong Provinces |publisher=Euchinawto.org |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807203456/http://www.euchinawto.org/index_php.html?option=com_content&task=view&id=314&Itemid=36 }}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:HainanSanya4.jpg|thumb|right|Located in Sanya, this beach is typical of those along the entire eastern coast of Hainan]]
Hainan Island is often divided into eight regions for tourism purposes: Haikou and area (Haikou, [[Qiongshan]], [[Ding'an County|Ding'an]]); the Northeast ([[Wenchang]]); the Central East Coast (Qionghai, Ding'an); the South East Coast; the South (Sanya); the West Coast also called the [[Chinese Riviera]] (Ledong, Dongfang, Xianghsui, Changjiang); the North West ([[Danzhou]], Lingao, Chengmai); and the Central Highlands (Baisha, Qiongzhong, and Wuzhishan/Tongzha).

Popular tourist destinations include the beaches and resorts in the southern part of the province. Inland is [[Wuzhi Mountain|Five Finger Mountain]], a scenic area. Tourists also visit the capital of Haikou with area visitor attractions such as [[Movie Town Haikou]] and [[Holiday Beach, Hainan|Holiday Beach]].

====Visa requirements====
{{see also|Visa policy of China}}
In 2000, the province initiated a visa-upon-arrival policy for foreign tourist groups. It is available to citizens of twenty-six different countries, and was established in order to attract visitors.

Beginning 1 May 2018, citizens of 59 countries will be able to visit Hainan for 30 days without requiring a visa, provided that they come on a tour via a travel agency. Countries included among the 59 are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecns.cn/2018/04-18/299615.shtml|title=Hainan to offer 30-day visa-free period for visitors from 59 countries|website=www.ecns.cn}}</ref>

====Statistics====
During 2008, 20.6 million tourists visited Hainan, producing total revenues of 19.23 billion yuan (US$2.81 billion). Of these tourists, 979,800 were from overseas with the largest numbers coming from South Korea, Russia and Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eturbonews.com/13871/hainan-way-become-new-hawaii |title=Hainan tourism Hainan on the way to become the new Hawaii ? |date=18 January 2010 |publisher=eTurboNews.com |access-date=9 August 2010 |archive-date=7 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007120808/http://www.eturbonews.com/13871/hainan-way-become-new-hawaii |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, the amount of overnight tourists visiting Hainan was 25.87 million, 663,000 of which came from outside China.<ref name="independent.co.uk"/>

During 2011, more than 30 million tourists visited Hainan, mostly from mainland China. Of the 814,600 overseas tourists, 227,600 of them came from Russia, a 53.3 percent a rise year-on-year.<ref name="news.xinhuanet.com">{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-05/01/c_131562175.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503203805/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-05/01/c_131562175.htm |archive-date=3 May 2012 |title=Sanya big draw for tourists – Xinhua &#124; English.news.cn |publisher=News.xinhuanet.com |date=1 May 2012 |access-date=16 November 2012}}</ref> Total revenue during that year was 32 billion RMB ($4.3 billion US), up 25 percent from 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ttgasia.com/article.php?article_id=3572 |title=Leader in Hotel, Airlines, Tourism and Travel Trade News – Hainan unveils plans to boost infrastructure, flight connectivity |publisher=TTG Asia |date=3 May 2012 |access-date=16 November 2012 |archive-date=7 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307173856/http://ttgasia.com/article.php?article_id=3572 }}</ref>

In the first quarter of 2012, the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission reports that Hainan received 208,300 overnight visitors, 25 percent of whom came from Russia.<ref name="news.xinhuanet.com"/>

In 2014, Hainan received 50.2 million tourists, 660,000 of whom were from overseas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.asiaone.com/news/interview-developing-hainan-tourism-hub|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728121324/http://business.asiaone.com/news/interview-developing-hainan-tourism-hub|title=Interview: Developing Hainan into tourism hub|work=AsiaOne|archive-date=28 July 2015}}</ref>

During 2015, Hainan received 53 million visitors.<ref name="traveldailymedia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.traveldailymedia.com/233794/53-million-tourists-flock-to-hainan/|title=53 million tourists flock to Hainan|date=11 March 2016|access-date=12 January 2017|archive-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116173123/http://www.traveldailymedia.com/233794/53-million-tourists-flock-to-hainan/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, over 60 million tourists went to Hainan, up 12.9% from 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/hainan-china-tourists-hawaii-dubai/index.html|title=Is the 'Hawaii of China' becoming the new Dubai?|date=20 September 2017|access-date=20 September 2017|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194754/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/hainan-china-tourists-hawaii-dubai/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

During 2018, the province received over 76 million domestic and overseas tourists, a year-on-year increase of 11.8%. Revenue also increased 14.5% compared to the previous year for a total of 95 billion RMB (US$14 billion).<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/23/c_137768436.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201180853/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/23/c_137768436.htm|archive-date=1 February 2019|title=Hainan receives over 76 mln tourists in 2018 – Xinhua &#124; English.news.cn|website=www.xinhuanet.com|access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201901/11/WS5c37f00aa3106c65c34e3d7a.html|title=Hainan to promote language learning – Chinadaily.com.cn|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=26 July 2020|archive-date=22 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122071603/https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201901/11/WS5c37f00aa3106c65c34e3d7a.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Medical tourism====
The government of Hainan is expanding the province's [[medical tourism]] industry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.medicaltourism.com/en/news/hainan-steps-up-learning-process-with-spain-visit.html |title=Hainan steps up learning process with Spain visit |publisher=Medicaltourism.com |date=16 September 2011 |access-date=16 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504032100/http://www.medicaltourism.com/en/news/hainan-steps-up-learning-process-with-spain-visit.html |archive-date=4 May 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.cri.cn/4926/2011/12/06/2041s670374_1.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116235135/http://english.cri.cn/4926/2011/12/06/2041s670374_1.htm |archive-date=16 January 2013 |title=China Drive |publisher=English.cri.cn |date=7 December 2011 |access-date=16 November 2012}}</ref> The provincial government has established the [[Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone]] in the [[Bo'ao]] area. The zone is located six kilometers from the Boao Forum for Asia and covers 20 square kilometers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201804/01/WS5ac0c60aa3105cdcf651592d.html|title=Super Hospital opens in Boao, Hainan – Chinadaily.com.cn|last=代艳|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=29 April 2018|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215212140/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201804/01/WS5ac0c60aa3105cdcf651592d.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This was announced at the [[Boao Forum for Asia]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |author=Dong Qingpei (董庆沛) |url=http://www.china.org.cn/travel/2011-04/25/content_22436032.htm |title=China in key position to attract medical tourists |publisher=China.org.cn |date=25 April 2011 |access-date=16 November 2012 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801151638/http://www.china.org.cn/travel/2011-04/25/content_22436032.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The State Council has approved the development of [[Lecheng Island]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Qionghai, Hainan |url=http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=19.142995,110.526272&hl=en&num=1&t=m&z=13 |title=19.142995,110.526272 – Google Maps |publisher=Google Maps |date=1 January 1970 |access-date=16 November 2012 |archive-date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905155641/https://www.google.ca/maps?q=19.142995,110.526272&hl=en&num=1&t=m&z=13 |url-status=live }}</ref> as a medical tourism-themed destination.<ref>{{cite web |author=((F_100585)) |url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/102774/7862196.html |title=Hainan makes foray into int'l medical tourism (2) – People's Daily Online |publisher=English.peopledaily.com.cn |date=2 July 2012 |access-date=16 November 2012 |archive-date=28 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528155243/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/102774/7862196.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Lecheng Island is a small island in the Wanquan River about {{convert|3|km|abbr=on}} west of the coastal town of Bo'ao on the west coast of the province. Construction on the 20&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. The zone was begun in December 2014 and will cost a projected 1.5 billion yuan. It was scheduled for completion in 2016 and is the first special zone for medical travel in China.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-30478-construction-on-hainan-s-boao-lecheng-int-l-medical-travel-zone-to-start-in-2014.html|title=Construction on Hainan's Boao Lecheng Int'l Medical Travel Zone to start in 2014 – What's On Sanya<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=26 July 2020|archive-date=30 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430123303/http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-30478-construction-on-hainan-s-boao-lecheng-int-l-medical-travel-zone-to-start-in-2014.html}}</ref> As part of the zone, the [[Boao Super Hospital]] opened in 2018.

====Historical sites====
{{main|Major national historical and cultural sites (Hainan)}}
Haikou is the province's capital and contains interesting historic sites. Also known as Coconut City, Haikou is a major port. The [[Five Officials Temple]] ({{zh|c={{linktext|五|公|祠}}|p=Wǔgōng cí}}, {{Coord|20|0|35.79|N|110|21|17.34|E|type:landmark_region:CN-46|display=i}}) consists of five traditional temples and halls that were built in honor of five officials of the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties. These officials were banished to Hainan for periods ranging from 11 days to 11 years for speaking out against what they felt were wrong practices by the emperors. (It is perhaps significant that the establishment of the Five Officials Temple in the late 19th century coincides with a time when China's territorial integrity was under threat, and that several of the officials honored here were exiled for espousing aggressive policies on the recapture of the north of China from the [[Jurchens]] during the Southern [[Song dynasty]].)

[[Xiuying Fort]] was built in 1891 to defend the southeastern corner of China during the [[Sino-French War]]. The Xiuying Fort Barbette covers about a third of an acre. Its five large cannons are still intact and viewable at the site.

[[File:Hai Rui tomb 01.jpg|thumb|Tomb of [[Hai Rui]]]]
The Tomb of [[Hai Rui]] ({{Coord|20|0|29.66|N|110|17|30.18|E|type:landmark_region:CN-46|display=i}}) is a key national cultural protection site. [[Hai Rui]] was a compassionate and popular official of Hainanese origins who lived during the Ming dynasty. He was famous for his lifelong honesty and his willingness to speak out on behalf of local people. In later life, Hai Rui was persecuted and fell out of favor with the emperor. His admirers built the Hai Rui Tomb after his death to commemorate his great works. Construction of the tomb began in 1589.

The [[Yangpu Ancient Salt Field]] is a heritage site in Yantian village on [[Yangpu Peninsula]]. The area comprises more than 1,000 stones, cut flat on top, used to dry seawater to produce salt.

====Other attractions and destinations====
[[File:Hainan 3.JPG|thumb|[[Yalong Bay]], the most expensive and well-known beach in Hainan, and the location of numerous 5-star hotels.|right]]
Hainan Island has a number of beaches, hot springs and other attractions. Some top scenic sites include Yalong bay National Resort; Dadonghai Tourist Resort; Qizhi Shan (Seven Finger Mountain), Nuilin mountain tropical botanical reserve in Lingshui county, [[Guantang Hot Spring]] Resort, [[Shishan Volcanic Garden]]; the [[Wanquan River]], Baishi Ridge Scenic Zone and Baihua Ridge.

Other attractions in Hainan include:
* [[Phoenix Island]], an [[artificial island]] in [[Sanya Bay]].
* [[Monkey Island, Hainan|Monkey Island]], near the well-known perfume bay or Xiangshui Wan, a popular tourist destination located in [[Lingshui Li Autonomous County|Lingshui]] County, is a state-protected nature reserve for [[macaques]].
* [[Yalong Bay]] (Crescent Dragon Bay or Yalong Wan), a {{Convert|7|km|abbr=on}} long beach east of Sanya City.
* [[Xiangshui Bay Scenic Area]], {{Convert|48|km|abbr=on}} from Sanya Tiandu.
* [[Luobi Cave]], {{Convert|15|km|abbr=on}} north of Sanya City.
* [[Nanshan Temple (Sanya)|Nanshan Temple]], a Buddhist cultural area west of Sanya featuring a {{Convert|108|m|ft|sp=us}} [[Guan Yin of the South Sea of Sanya|statue of Guanyin]], Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.
* [[Yanoda]] is a rainforest area. It is open to visitors with guided walking tours, a zipline, and a waterfall climbing activity.

====Yachting====
To encourage the international yachting community, new regulations now allow foreign yachts to stay for a total of 183 days each year, with a maximum single stay duration of 30 days. 13 additional ports will be built around the island to accommodate this market.<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/china-opening-up-hainan-island-to-the-world-2257987.html | location=London | work=The Independent | title=China opening up Hainan Island to the world | date=31 March 2011 | access-date=2 December 2017 | archive-date=12 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512051107/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/china-opening-up-hainan-island-to-the-world-2257987.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Duty-free program===
On 20 April 2011, a pilot [[duty-free]] program commenced with the aim of increasing [[Luxury goods of China|luxury goods]] purchases. It permits domestic Chinese visitors to claim tax refunds on imported luxury items purchased within the province. The maximum value is set at 5,000 yuan (US$762), with lowered tax rates on purchases over 5,000 yuan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jingdaily.com/hainan-island-set-to-launch-duty-free-luxury-shopping-program-in-sanya/8889/ |title=The Business of Luxury and Culture in China |publisher=Jing Daily |date=18 April 2011 |access-date=25 January 2013 |archive-date=21 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921165153/https://jingdaily.com/hainan-island-set-to-launch-duty-free-luxury-shopping-program-in-sanya/8889/ }}</ref> In October 2012, duty limits were raised to 8,000 yuan ($1,273), and became available to both domestic and international tourists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jingdaily.com/hainan-island-raises-duty-free-limits-to-spur-luxury-consumption/21280/ |title=The Business of Luxury and Culture in China |publisher=Jing Daily |date=2 October 2012 |access-date=25 January 2013 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807190248/https://jingdaily.com/hainan-island-raises-duty-free-limits-to-spur-luxury-consumption/21280/ }}</ref>

The total sales of duty-free products for 2012 was 2.4 billion yuan.<ref>{{cite web |author=((F_221)) |url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90778/8104476.html |title=Hainan tax rebate attracts 1.6 million tourists for shopping – People's Daily Online |publisher=English.peopledaily.com.cn |access-date=25 January 2013 |archive-date=24 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524090411/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90778/8104476.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The world's largest duty-free shopping complex is scheduled to open in [[Haitang Bay]] in August 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-03/18/content_16315603.htm|title=HK, Jeju and Okinawa, now Hainan! – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn|last=李齐|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=18 March 2013|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126105927/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-03/18/content_16315603.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

During 2018 Spring Festival, Hainan recorded a 25% increase in duty-free revenue, with 450 million yuan ($71 million) in sales. The two duty-free shops, located in Sanya and Haikou, received about 99,000 customers, a 32% gain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.hainan.gov.cn/englishgov/News/201803/t20180320_2583960.html|title=People's Government of HaiNan Province|website=en.hainan.gov.cn}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

During 2018, the two duty-free shops had sales of more than 10 billion RMB and received 2.88 million customers.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

===Natural resources===
Hainan has commercially exploitable reserves of more than 30 [[minerals]]. [[Iron]], first mined by the Japanese during their occupation of the island in [[World War II]], is the most important. Also important are [[titanium]], [[manganese]], [[tungsten]], [[bauxite]], [[molybdenum]], [[cobalt]], [[copper]], [[gold]], and [[silver]]. There are large deposits of [[lignite]] and [[oil shale]] on the island, and significant offshore finds of [[oil]] and [[natural gas]] have been discovered. Virgin forests in the interior mountains contain more than 20 commercially valuable species, including [[teak]] and [[sandalwood]].

===Real estate market===
In 1990, Hainan province was the site of the largest property bust in modern Chinese history<ref name="thechinaperspective1"/> With 2009 and the announcement of the Chinese Government's plan to develop the province into a major international tourist location, property sales rose by 73%, creating the possibility of another bubble in Hainan's property market.<ref name="thechinaperspective1"/>

Since March 2010, commercial and residential property values in some parts of Hainan have slowed down since the market peaked in February.
In March, average month-on-month transaction prices dropped 12.82% to 12,280 RMB per square meter, with a reduction in volume to {{convert|627000|m2|sqft||sp=us}}, a 19.05% decline. Later in April, prices declined 2.84% to 11,932 yuan per square metre, with a 57.59% decline in volume to {{convert|567200|m2|sqft|sp=us}}. Then in May prices declined a further 29.74% from the previous month to 8,483 yuan per square metre, with a 57.95% decline in volume to {{convert|229000|m2|sqft||sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capitalvue.com/home/CE-news/inset/@10063/post/1197863 |title=CapitalVue News: Hainan Property Market Collapses |publisher=Capitalvue.com |date=17 June 2010 |access-date=9 August 2010 |archive-date=8 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308082440/http://www.capitalvue.com/home/CE-news/inset/@10063/post/1197863 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, property prices in the tourist resort of Sanya remain strong as of January 2011, with prime developments selling at prices of up to 80,000 RMB per square metre.

Data for 2016 data shows that Hainan saw an increase in house sales of 44%. Volume in sales was 129 billion RMB ($18.82 billion) which is a rise of 51.2 percent year-on-year. During that year in November, commercial apartments in Sanya sold for 20,695 RMB per square meter a rise of 15.75% year-on-year. The total amount of Sanya real estate sold during that time was 212,400 square meters.<ref name="ecns.cn">{{cite web|url=http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/02-07/244258.shtml|title=Favorable climate in Hainan attracting holiday investors|website=www.ecns.cn|access-date=5 August 2017|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801112413/http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/02-07/244258.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

Out of China's twenty leading real estate developers, eighteen had invested in Hainan during 2016.<ref name="ecns.cn"/>

In the beginning of 2017, the price for a house in Haikou was approximately 8,000 RMB ($1,170) per square meter and $20,000 RMB ($2,977) per square meter in Sanya.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/02-07/244342.shtml|title=Tips on buying property|website=www.ecns.cn|access-date=5 August 2017|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801110526/http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/02-07/244342.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

====New 2018 regulations====
On 23 April 2018, new rules came into effect regarding home purchases in Hainan. To be able to buy a house, non-Hainan residents must prove that they have a minimum of one family member who has been paying taxes or social security for at least 2 years.

Those non-Hainan residents who wish to purchase a house in Haikou, Sanya and Qionghai must prove that they have a minimum of one family member who has been paying taxes or social security for at least 5 years.

In Wuzhishan, Baoting, Qiongzhong and Baisha (the "central ecological core areas"), houses may only be purchased by local residents.

When non-residents do buy a property, the down payment must be at least 70 per cent. In order to curb speculation, owners may not sell their property for five years after receiving their ownership certificate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/04-23/300013.shtml|title=Hainan places tougher restrictions on property purchases|website=www.ecns.cn}}</ref>

===Golf industry===
{{See also|Golf in China#Hainan}}
This industry is expanding in Hainan, with numerous courses being constructed, including [[Mission Hills Haikou]], which is one of the largest golf complexes in the world. The golf industry attracts foreign investment and overseas golfers from such countries as Australia, South Korea, and Japan.

===Automotive industry===
[[Automotive industry|Automotive manufacturing]] is one of Eight industrial pillar industries. Hainan's automotive output was 39,600 in 2017, down by 41.1 percent over the previous year. Domestic Chinese manufacturer,<ref name="Communiqué2017"/> [[Haima Automobile]] has its global headquarters in [[Haikou]].

===Foreign trade===

As of 2017, the total value of imports and exports of goods reached 70,237 million [[Renminbi|yuan]] (10,403 million [[United States dollar|US dollars]]). Of which, the value of goods exported was 29,566 million yuan (4,379 million US dollars), the value of goods imported was 40,671 million yuan (6,024 million US dollars).<ref name="Communiqué2017"/>

[[Asean]] was Hainan's largest export trade partner in 2017, the value of goods exported to Asean was 12,289 yuan (1,820 million US dollars), accounted for 41.56 per cent of the total value of goods exported. Its second-largest foreign trade partner was [[Hong Kong]], the value of goods exported to Hong Kong was 2,966 yuan (439 million US dollars), accounted for 10.03 per cent of that. the 3rd largest partner was EU, the value of goods exported to EU was 2,186 yuan (324 million US dollars), accounted for 7.39 per cent of that.<ref name="Communiqué2017"/>

===Hainan Free trade port===
On 13 April 2018, [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party general secretary]] [[Xi Jinping]] announced a plan to gradually make the island into a pilot free trade zone by 2020, and transform the entire island into a free trade port by 2025. This will involve inviting foreign and multi-national companies to set up their regional and international headquarters in Hainan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/04-17/299377.shtml|title=Hainan plans good news for free trade|website=www.ecns.cn|access-date=29 April 2018|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194807/http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/04-17/299377.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Goods and services would be subject to low or even no tariffs. The zone will become China's largest free trade zone, and the first trade port since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded.<ref name="xinhuanet.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/15/c_137112366.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418001022/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/15/c_137112366.htm|archive-date=18 April 2018|title=China Focus: Tropical island on forefront of next phase of China's reform, opening-up – Xinhua – English.news.cn|website=www.xinhuanet.com}}</ref> Part of the plan is to establish exchanges in commodities and carbon trading, international energy, and shipping. Emphasis will also be placed on the development of service industries including tourism, the Internet, healthcare, finance, as well as conference and exhibitions hosting.<ref name="xinhuanet.com"/>

Since the announcement in April 2018, Hainan had signed 159 contracts with major companies. In September 2018, China National Travel Service Group, China's biggest travel business conglomerate, relocated its headquarters from Beijing to Haikou. In October 2018, [[Baidu]] and Hainan signed a deal to build a 10-billion-yuan (US$1.45 billion) eco-village.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2018-11/05/content_37198211.htm|title=Province burns bright as investment hot spot amid industrial boom – Chinadaily.com.cn|last=李齐|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=9 November 2018|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215195328/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2018-11/05/content_37198211.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2018, a symposium was held in Beijing on foreign investment projects in Hainan. During that gathering, the Hainan government signed contracts with 26 international companies including [[Globevisa Group]], [[Merlin Entertainments Group]], [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]], Ikea Group, [[Mapletree Investments]], [[Avis Budget Group]], [[Star Cruises]], and [[Boehringer Ingelheim]].<ref name="auto"/>

To bring talented workers to Hainan, in November 2018 the Hainan government held a [[Job fair|recruitment fair]] in Beijing in an effort to bring 7,471 people to Hainan to work in government agencies, companies, and other institutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201811/07/WS5be2dab7a310eff30328737c.html|title=Hainan to launch major recruitment fair in Beijing – Chinadaily.com.cn|last=刘小卓|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=10 November 2018|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807132436/https://124.127.52.76/a/201811/07/WS5be2dab7a310eff30328737c.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Established prior to this announcement, and currently in existence, are the following economic and technological development zones:
* [[Haikou Free Trade Zone]]
* Haikou New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
* [[Yangpu Economic Development Zone]]

In June 2020, China set the corporate income [[Taxation in China|tax]] rate for Hainan Free Trade port enterprises engaged in specified manufacturing activities.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Lin |first=Shuanglin |title=China's Public Finance: Reforms, Challenges, and Options |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-009-09902-8 |edition= |location=New York, NY}}</ref>{{Rp|page=137}}

In 2021, Hainan Free Trade Port Law of the People's Republic of China was adopted by the [[National People's Congress]] and ratified under the No.85 Order of the [[President of the People's Republic of China]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=IORI |first1=KAWATE |title=China passes law to make Hainan free trade haven |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/China-passes-law-to-make-Hainan-free-trade-haven |access-date=9 March 2023 |work=Nikkei Asia}}</ref> According to the law, by 2025, ''feng guan'' (封关, which is directly translated into "customs closure") will be fully implemented and all goods sold to other parts of China from Hainan would be treated as imports, in a similar way as [[Hong Kong|Hong Kong SAR]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hainan Free Trade Port Law of the People's Republic of China |url=http://lawinfochina.com/display.aspx?lib=law&id=35676 |website=lawinfochina.com |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref>

==Transport==

===Road===
Before 1950 there were practically no transport links with the interior of the island. The first roads were built in the early 20th century, but no major road construction was undertaken in the mountains until the 1950s. Parallel north–south roads along the east and west coasts and through the interior of the island constitute most of Hainan's road network.

Hainan is the only province in China that does not have highway toll stations. This is due to the 1994 "fee-to-tax" reform.<ref name="xinhuanet.com" /> Instead, road maintenance costs are raised through a 60% tax on fuel.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 December 1998|title=Road taxes|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/265369/road-taxes|access-date=12 February 2022|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref>

There are several major highways and expressways linking Haikou on the north coast with Sanya on the south coast. The [[China National Highway 224|G224]] is 309 kilometers long and runs through the middle of the province. The Hainan Ring Highway has three parts: The [[China National Highway 225|G225]] is {{convert|429|km|abbr=on|adj=on}} long and is the western part. For most of its length, the G225 runs parallel to the [[Hainan western ring railway]]. The [[China National Highway 223|G223]] is the eastern part, running from Haikou to Sanya. It is 323 kilometers long. The [[G98 Hainan Island Ring Expressway|G98]] is a 612.8-kilometer-long orbital expressway that encircles the island. [[Hainan Highway 1]], a new 1,040-km-long scenic highway, will be built around the island, along the coast starting in May 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201903/13/WS5c88c7c4a3106c65c34ee715.html|title=New highway lets tourists drive around Hainan Island – Chinadaily.com.cn|website=global.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=26 July 2020|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194817/https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201903/13/WS5c88c7c4a3106c65c34ee715.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are also numerous rural roads within the province. These are typically two-way asphalt roads and connect larger towns. Connecting the thousands of villages to one another and to farms, are concrete roads about 6 meters wide. Many of these were built from roughly from the year 2000 onward, and as of 2019, are still being built.

===Bridges===

While a bridge connecting Hainan to the Leizhou peninsula on the mainland was planned in the early 2000s it never came to fruition. A bridge or tunnel received continued consideration in 2018, as travel by air or ferry can leave residents and visitors isolated when bad weather sets in.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chinaplus.cri.cn/news/china/9/20180223/94355.html|title=Hainan travel chaos: Is it time to build the cross-strait subsea tunnel?|date=8 June 2018|access-date=8 June 2018|archive-date=15 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215194801/http://chinaplus.cri.cn/news/china/9/20180223/94355.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Air===
Hainan Province has two international airports ([[Haikou Meilan International Airport]] and [[Sanya Phoenix International Airport]]) and two domestic airports ([[Qionghai Bo'ao Airport]] and [[Danzhou Airport]], the latter is under construction.)

===Rail===
[[File:Ferry_leaving_South_Port_-_03.jpg|thumb|Train ferry of [[Guangdong–Hainan railway]] leaving South Port, Haikou]]
Today's Hainan is ringed by standard-gauge railways. Since 2004, a [[Train ferry|rail ferry]] connects the island's railroad network to Guangdong, mainland China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200301/07/eng20030107_109686.shtml|title=Railway Ferry Service Across Qiongzhou Straits Begins|date=8 January 2003|publisher=[[People's Daily]] Online|access-date=12 August 2008|archive-date=24 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524115335/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200301/07/eng20030107_109686.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2005, [[Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Communications]] allocated 20 million yuan (US$2.4 million) to set up a committee to research and study the possibility of a bridge or tunnel link connecting the island to the mainland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/119799.htm|title=Hainan Mulls Bridge/ Tunnel Link to Mainland|author=Xinhua News Agency|date=3 February 2005|publisher=China.org.cn|access-date=12 August 2008|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801114027/http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/119799.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> From the ferry terminal, located near [[Haikou railway station]] (west of Haikou), freight and passenger trains arriving from the mainland can proceed on the [[Hainan western ring railway]] along the island's west coast, via [[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]] to Sanya. This railway line has been developed over several decades, starting with a few short {{RailGauge|3ft6in|lk=on}} [[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow gauge]] lines constructed during the Japanese occupation in the early 1940s.

There is a high-speed railway ring around the island, formed by the [[Hainan eastern ring high-speed railway|eastern ring]] and [[Hainan western ring high-speed railway|western ring]] along the island's coast. Both high-speed railways are connected with [[Haikou]] and [[Sanya]]. There are 15 stations along the east coast, and 16 stations along the west coast. Trains are designed to travel at {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on}} on the east ring, and {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} on the west ring. The total length of eastern ring is {{convert|308.11|km|abbr=on}}, while the western ring is {{Convert|344|km|mi||sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unn.people.com.cn/GB/13627264.html |trans-title=Hainan Steps into an Era of High Speed Railways |script-title=zh:海南吉林迈入"高铁时代" | language = zh-hans |publisher=[[People's Daily Online]] |date=31 December 2010 |access-date=10 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001102416/http://unn.people.com.cn/GB/13627264.html |archive-date=1 October 2011 }}</ref> The first eastern ring high-speed train run started on 30 December 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.wenweipo.com/2010/12/28/NN1012280012.htm|title=Hainan's Eastern Ring Railway/Ticket Price|publisher=news.wenweipo.com|date=28 December 2010|access-date=10 January 2012|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023418/http://news.wenweipo.com/2010/12/28/NN1012280012.htm}}</ref> and the [[Hainan western ring high-speed railway]] started its operation in 2015.

===Seaports===
[[File:Haikou Xiuying Port 16.jpg|thumb|right|Haikou Xiuying Port]]
* [[Haikou Xiuying Port]] ({{lang|zh|海口秀英港}}) serves as the main passenger and cargo center.<ref name="english.chinaports.org">{{cite web |url=http://english.chinaports.org/info/201011/000124.html |title=Hainan Harbor & Shipping Holding Co., Ltd. |publisher=China Ports |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106145201/http://english.chinaports.org/info/201011/000124.html |archive-date=6 November 2011 }}</ref>
* [[Haikou New Port]] ({{lang|zh|海口新港}}) opened 1 June 2005<ref name="english.chinaports.org" />
* [[Macun Port]] ({{lang|zh-hans|馬村港}}) located in [[Chengmai County]]; opened 1 June 2005<ref name="english.chinaports.org" />
* [[Hainan Strait Port]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ports.com/china/hainan-strait-port/ |title=Hainan Strait Port, China |publisher=ports.com |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-date=5 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105150658/http://ports.com/china/hainan-strait-port/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Basuo|Basuo Port]] in [[Dongfang, Hainan|Dongfang]] City is a small port on the west coast of Hainan. One of its main cargos is iron ore from the [[Shilu, Hainan|Shilu]] Mine.

Hainan received 11,000 tons of products via ports November 2010, up 90.1 percent month-on-month. Between January and November 2010, 102,000 tons of products were exported via Hainan, 34,000 tons of which were exported to the US, and 14,000 tons sent to the EU.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-14177-china-exports-11k-tons-of-aquatic-products-via-hainan-ports-in-nov.html |title=China exports 11k tons of aquatic products via Hainan ports in Nov – What's On Sanya |publisher=Whatsonsanya.com |date=28 December 2010 |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-date=2 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602211534/http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-14177-china-exports-11k-tons-of-aquatic-products-via-hainan-ports-in-nov.html }}</ref>

====Province-wide infrastructure development====
From 2015 to the present, a widespread program to improve cities and other settlements in Hainan island has been taking place. It includes the removal of litter from towns, villages, and many roadsides. [[Illegal dumping|Small, illegal dumps]] are being removed. However, [[illegal dumping]] of [[construction waste|construction debris]] still occurs on rural roads. Large, plastic dumpsters have been put in place within villages and at countryside road intersections. Towns are being improved with new road and sidewalk surfaces, landscaping features are being created, and many buildings are receiving new façades.

This [[Haikou#Massive city-improvement campaign|initiative in Haikou]] has seen entire neighborhoods demolished and rebuilt, sanitation improved, illegal structures used for business removed, roadside vendors banned, roads and sidewalks replaced, and new street crossings with traffic lights installed.

== Hainan Regional Specific Visa-exemption Policy ==

=== Visa-free Entry ===
Starting from 1 May 2018, citizens of following 59 countries do not need a visa if they visit Hainan Island and stay no more than 30 days.<ref name="hainanvisa">{{cite news |date=2018-04-18 |title=China Focus: Hainan to offer visa-free access to tourists from 59 countries |publisher=Xinhua |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/18/c_137120441.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418152146/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/18/c_137120441.htm |archive-date=18 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |script-title=zh:公安部发布：海南实施59国免签 |url=http://m.sohu.com/news/a/228635597_114731 |publisher=人民网}}</ref> In July 2019, the [[Ministry of Public Security (China)|Chinese Ministry of Public Security]] and [[National Immigration Administration]] announced an update and expansion of the [[Visa-free travel|visa-free]] entry options for foreign nationals in Hainan. In addition to the existing visa-free entry for tourists from 59 countries, foreign nationals are now allowed visa-free entry for various purposes, including business, trade, visiting, family reunification, medical treatment, conferences and exhibitions, sports competitions, and more (excluding work and study). Moreover, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration has extended the visa-free entry into Hainan by allowing individual self-application or entry through an entity invitation, replacing the previous invitation reception mode that involved travel agencies.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=公安部、国家移民管理局出台支持海南全面深化改革 |url=https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741435/n907688/n932720/n1008173/n1110208/n1110220/n1110320/c1111338/content.html |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=www.nia.gov.cn |archive-date=22 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022164552/https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741435/n907688/n932720/n1008173/n1110208/n1110220/n1110320/c1111338/content.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Countries eligible ====
{| style=" border-radius:1em; box-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75); background-color: white; border: 1px solid white; padding: 5px;"
|
* {{flagicon|European Union|}} All [[European Union citizenship|European Union citizens]]

{|
|
* {{flagcountry|Albania}}
* {{flagcountry|Argentina}}
* {{flagcountry|Australia}}
* {{flagcountry|Belarus}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|Bosnia}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|Brazil}}
* {{flagcountry|Brunei}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|Canada}}
| valign="top" |
* {{flagcountry|Chile}}
* {{flagcountry|Iceland}}
* {{flagcountry|Indonesia}}
* {{flagcountry|Japan}}
* {{flagcountry|Kazakhstan}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|Malaysia}}
* {{flagcountry|Mexico}}
* {{flagcountry|Monaco}}
| valign="top" |
* {{flagcountry|Montenegro}}
* {{flagcountry|New Zealand}}
* {{flag|North Macedonia}}
* {{flagcountry|Norway}}
* {{flagcountry|Philippines}}
* {{flagcountry|Qatar}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|Russia}}
* {{flagcountry|Serbia}}<sup>2</sup>
| valign="top" |
* {{flagcountry|Singapore}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|South Korea}}
* {{flagcountry|Switzerland}}
* {{flagcountry|Thailand}}
* {{flagcountry|UAE}}<sup>2</sup>
* {{flagcountry|Ukraine}}
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}<sup>1</sup>
* {{flagcountry|United States}}
|}
|}
{{smalldiv|# for British passport holders, only British citizens are eligible.
# Visa exemption in general}}

== Hainan Free Trade Zone Immigration Preferential Policies ==
In July 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration announced updated preferential policies that applied to the Hainan Province (Hainan Free Trade Zone), including:<ref name=":1" />

=== Facilitate Employment and Entrepreneurship for Foreign University Students ===
Foreign students who have obtained a master's or higher degree from Chinese universities can apply for a residency permit of up to 2 years for innovation and entrepreneurship in Hainan with the recommendation of their affiliated universities. Foreign students studying at overseas universities are allowed to engage in regular internships at Hainan's star-rated hotels, hospitals, international schools, and other entities. With the required invitation letter from the relevant entity and proof of enrollment at a foreign university, they can apply for the necessary visas for their internships.<ref name=":1" />

=== Provide Permanent Residency Convenience for Foreigners Working or Investing ===
Chinese of foreign nationalities with a Ph.D. degree working in Hainan, or Chinese of foreign nationalities who have worked continuously in Hainan for at least 4 years with an accumulated residency of no less than 6 months each year, are eligible to apply for permanent residency. Their foreign spouses and minor children can also apply for permanent residency together. Foreign individuals who invest in innovative enterprises in Hainan and maintain stable investments with good tax records for three consecutive years, recommended by the Hainan Provincial People's Government, can apply for permanent residency. Foreign individuals who have worked continuously in Hainan for 4 years and meet the income and personal income tax payment standards in Hainan are eligible to apply for permanent residency.<ref name=":1" />

==Education==
[[File:Haikou College of Economics - administration and library building 01.jpg|thumb|[[Haikou University of Economics]], Guilinyang campus]]
{{See also|List of universities and colleges in Hainan}}
The level of primary and secondary education has improved since 1949, but facilities for higher education remain somewhat inadequate.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}}

*[[Hainan University]] ({{lang|zh|海南大学}})
*[[Hainan Medical University]] ({{lang|zh|海南医学院}})
*[[Hainan Normal University]] ({{lang|zh|海南师范大学}})
*[[Hainan Tropical Ocean University]] ({{lang|zh|海南热带海洋学院}})
*Qiongtai Normal University ({{lang|zh|琼台师范学院}})
*[[Haikou University of Economics]] ({{lang|zh|海口经济学院}})
*[[University of Sanya]] ({{lang|zh|三亚学院}})

==Settlement==
[[File:Hainan Museum 01.jpg|thumb|[[Hainan Museum|Hainan Provincial Museum]]]]
As a frontier region celebrated by such exiled poets as [[Su Shi|Su Dongpo]], Hainan acquired an air of mystery and romance. The influx of large numbers of mainlanders after 1950 – particularly in the 1970s, when young Chinese from southern Guangdong were assigned to state farms to help develop Hainan, and in the 1980s, when thousands more came to take advantage of the economic opportunities offered – has perpetuated the frontier atmosphere on the island.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

In the late 1960s, the influx of [[sent-down youth]]s (primarily from Guangdong) to Hainan island led to the use of the phrase, "being rooted in Hainan" to refer to commitment to the revolutionary cause.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Rodriguez |first=Sarah Mellors |url= |title=Reproductive realities in modern China: birth control and abortion, 1911–2021 |date=2023 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-009-02733-5 |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |page=152 |oclc=1366057905}}</ref> By the early 1970s, the meaning of the phrase had evolved to refer to getting married and starting a family on the island.<ref name=":0" />

==Media==
As well as programs from [[Central China Television]] (CCTV), Hainan has a number of local TV stations including [[Hainan Television|Hainan TV]] and [[Haikou Television|Haikou TV]]. The Chinese language ''[[Nanguo Metropolis Daily]]'', ''[[Haikou Evening News]]'', and ''[[Hainan Daily]]'' newspapers are published in Haikou.

A large film studio is located in the south part of Haikou. [[Movie Town Haikou]] comprises several studio buildings and an artificial town used as filming sets and a visitor attraction.

==Cuisine==
[[File:Typical Hainan lunch - 01.jpg|thumb|right|Common dishes served in Hainan]]
{{Main|Hainan cuisine}}
Hainan cuisine is said to be "lighter, with mild seasonings." A lot of local taste is mixed with the Han Chinese taste. Seafood predominates the menu, as shrimp, crab, fish and other sea life are widely available.

[[Wenchang chicken]] is a dish known throughout the province of Hainan. Although there are many varieties of this dish, the name is usually used to define a type of small, free-range chicken from [[Wenchang]], located on the east coast of the province. As opposed to [[Battery cage|battery]] chickens, its meat has more texture and is somewhat drier.

[[Hainanese chicken rice|Hainan chicken rice / Coibui]] is a famous dish in Southeast Asia, particularly [[Singapore]] and [[Malaysia]],  bearing the region's name. However, while many restaurants use chicken fat to quickly add flavor to the dish, the proper local method is to 'marinate' the rice with chicken soup to add a more full flavor.

==Events==
Numerous events are hosted or sponsored on the island, including:
* [[Blue Bay LPGA]] – Women's Golf [[LPGA]] tournament, held annually at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course
* Swatch Girls World Pro China – Annual Elite Women's surfing competition, held at [[Wanning]]<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.swatchgirlspro.com/en/china/2013/home|title = Swatch Girls World Pro China|archive-url = http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20131214061620/http%3A//www.swatchgirlspro.com/en/china/2013/home|archive-date = 14 December 2013}}</ref>
* Hainan International Surfing Festival, held annually at [[Riyue Bay]], [[Wanning]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com/hainan-classic|title=Hainan International Surfing Festival|access-date=2 June 2014|archive-date=11 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211035007/http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com/hainan-classic/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Miss World]] beauty pageant is regularly held in the city of Sanya.
* [[Mission Hills Star Trophy]] is an annual golf tournament that started in 2010.
* [[Tour of Hainan]] bicycle race
* Hainan Rendez-Vous, an annual four-day event that draws China's ultra high-net-worth individuals to the [[Chinese Riviera]]-like shores of Hainan<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hainanrendezvous.com/en/ |title=(Hainan Sanya) – Yachts, Business Jets, Luxury LifeStyle |publisher=Hainan RendezVous |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007232304/http://hainanrendezvous.com/en/ |archive-date=7 October 2011 }}</ref>
* [[Ironman Triathlon|Ironman triathlon]]
* [[Boao Forum for Asia]], held in [[Boao]], is an international high-level government, business, and academia forum.
* H1 Hot Air Balloon Challenge is held annually in Haikou. Balloons from across the nation fly over the Qiongzhou Strait from Haikou to a designated location on the mainland in [[Xunwen County]], Guangdong.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-06/14/c_13927851.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617232641/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-06/14/c_13927851.htm |archive-date=17 June 2011 |title=Hot Air Balloon Challenge held in Haikou |publisher=News.xinhuanet.com |access-date=12 November 2011}}</ref>

==Miscellaneous topics==
*The novel, ''[[Red Detachment of Women (ballet)|Red Detachment of Women]]'', by [[Liang Xin]], was set in Hainan. The novel was first adapted to a feature film in the 1950s, and then a ballet in the 1960s as one of the [[Eight model plays]]. Most of the people of that time derived their romanticized image of Hainan Island from the scenes in the ballet, particularly that of the vivid forests of coconut trees, the Five Finger Mountain ([[Wuzhi Shan]]), and the [[Wanquan River]].
*Two notable lighthouses are located on Hainan: the [[Baishamen Lighthouse]] and [[Mulantou Lighthouse]] are among the tallest in the world, the latter being the tallest in China.
*[[3024 Hainan]], named after the province, is an [[Outer asteroid belt|outer main-belt]] [[asteroid]] discovered in 1981.
*''[[Hainan Kopi Tales]]'' is a Singaporean Chinese drama serial set in a famous Hainan coffee shop that explores the Hainanese way of life from the 1960s to the 1980s.
*Hainan Resort is also a multiplayer map in the 2013 video game ''[[Battlefield 4]]''.

===Space center===
{{main|Wenchang Space Launch Site}}
One of China's satellite launch centers is located in Hainan east of the city of [[Wenchang]]. The [[Wenchang Space Launch Site]], a {{convert|1200|ha|acre}} facility, is the closest Chinese launch center to the equator. The construction plan was first announced in October 2007. The new launch center began operations on 25 June 2016 with the [[Long March 7]] rocket making its [[maiden flight]].

==Notable residents==
The poet [[Su Shi]] (1036–1101) popularized Hainan's isolation and exoticism when he was exiled there under the [[Song dynasty]]. The [[Dongpo Academy]] was built on the site of the residence where he lived in exile.

[[Hai Rui]] (1514–1587) was a famous Chinese official of the [[Ming dynasty]]. His name has come down in history as a model of honesty and integrity in office.

[[Chih-Ping Chen]] (1906–1983) was a distinguished diplomat and statesman for the Republic of China, who served to build the Yunnan-Burma Road, and a diplomatic career that spanned four decades.

The most well-known native of Hainan is Chinese businessman, [[Charlie Soong]], father of the [[Shanghai]]-born [[Soong sisters]]: [[Soong Ai-ling]], wife of [[H. H. Kung]] (once China's richest man); [[Soong Ching-ling]], wife of [[Sun Yat-Sen]]; and [[Soong Mei-ling]], wife of former [[Republic of China|ROC]] President [[Chiang Kai-shek]].

[[Fei (singer)|Wang Feifei (Fei)]], singer, actress, entertainer and member of girl group [[Miss A]];

[[Wu Xuanyi]], member of the South Korean-Chinese girl group [[WJSN]]

==International partnerships==
Hainan's sister states/provinces/cities include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://enfaohn.hainan.gov.cn/swsqwywb/wsqwbgsSR/wsqwbgsLP/|title=List of Sister States/Provinces of Hainan – Foreign affairs office of hainan province|website=enfaohn.hainan.gov.cn|access-date=10 August 2019|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526014413/http://enfaohn.hainan.gov.cn/swsqwywb/wsqwbgsSR/wsqwbgsLP/}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sister state/province !! Sovereign country !! Date of Establishing Sisterhood Relationship
|-
| {{Flag|Hyogo}}|| Japan|| 28 September 1990
|-
| {{Flag|Hawaii}} || United States || 30 June 1992
|-
| {{Flag|Jeju}}|| [[South Korea]] || 6 October 1995
|-
| {{Flag|Crimea}}|| Ukraine || 15 April 1996
|-
| {{Flag|Cebu}}|| [[Philippines]]|| 9 June 1996
|-
| [[Arad, Romania|Arad]] || Romania || 27 September 2000
|-
| [[Salzburg]] || Austria || 24 October 2000
|-
| [[Prince Edward Island]] || Canada || 20 June 2001
|-
| [[South Sinai]] || [[Egypt]]|| 3 August 2002
|-
| [[Oulu]] || Finland || 11 December 2002
|-
| [[Balearic Islands|Baleares]] || Spain || 29 July 2004
|-
| [[Phuket]] || [[Thailand]]|| 25 September 2005
|-
| [[Southern Province, Sri Lanka|Southern Province]] || [[Sri Lanka]] || 23 April 2005
|-
| [[Gran Canaria|Canary]] || Spain|| 11 November 2005
|-
| [[Lubuskie]] || Poland || 24 February 2006
|-
| [[East New Britain]] || [[Papua New Guinea]] || 28 September 2006
|-
| [[Kampong Cham (city)|Kampong Cham]]|| [[Cambodia]] || 27 March 2006
|-
| [[Quang Ninh]] || [[Vietnam]] || 19 April 2007
|-
| [[Quintana Roo]] || Mexico || 30 September 2008
|-
| [[Kyzylorda]] || [[Kazakhstan]]|| 3 July 2009
|-
|[[Paraná (state)|Parana]]||Brazil || 13 March 2010
|-
| [[Gotland]]  || Sweden || 2 November 2010
|-
| [[Sardinia]] || Italy || 13 October 2011
|-
| [[Bali]] || [[Indonesia]] || 20 October 2011
|-
| [[Nampula]] || [[Mozambique]] || 18 September 2013
|-
| [[Penang]] || [[Malaysia]] || 7 November 2013
|-
| [[South Moravian Region]] ||Czech Republic|| 29 April 2016
|-
| [[Pest, Hungary|Pest]]  || Hungary || 12 June 2016
|-
| [[Luang Prabang]] || [[Laos]] || 16 July 2016
|}

== See also ==
{{portal|Islands|Asia|China}}
* [[List of islands of China]]
* [[Hainan Island incident]]
* [[Sanya]]
* [[CNS Hainan]]

==Note==
{{nlist}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* D'Arcy Brown, Liam (2003). ''Green Dragon, Sombre Warrior: travels to China's extremes''. London: John Murray. {{ISBN|0-7195-6038-1}}
* Edmonds, Richard Louis. "Hainan province and its impact on the geography of China", ''Geography'', Vol. 74, No. 2 (April 1989), pp.&nbsp;165–169

==External links==
{{Commons category|Hainan}}
{{Wiktionary|Hainan|Hai-nan}}
{{EB1911 poster|Hainan}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://info.hktdc.com/mktprof/china/hainan.htm Economic profile for Hainan] at [[Hong Kong Trade Development Council|HKTDC]]
* [http://www.howardscott.net/7/ImagesOf_Hainan_2008/index.html Dr Howard M Scott "Hainan"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110820011118/http://libguides.nl.sg/hainan Resources on the Hainanese in the National Library of Singapore]
* [http://www.hainanese.net/ Learn Hainanese Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701153653/http://www.hainanese.net/ |date=1 July 2018 }}
* [http://en.visithainan.gov.cn/ Hainan Province Official English Language Tourism Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003085234/http://en.visithainan.gov.cn/ |date=3 October 2018 }}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Hainan
|North     = [[Guangdong]]<br />''[[Qiongzhou Strait]]''
|Northeast = [[Taiwan]]<br />''[[Qiongzhou Strait]]''
|East      = ''[[Pratas Islands]]''
|Southeast = ''[[South China Sea]]''
|South     = ''[[South China Sea]]''
|Southwest = ''[[Gulf of Tonkin]]''<br />[[Quảng Trị Province|Quảng Trị]] and [[Thừa Thiên-Huế Province]]s, {{flag|Vietnam}}
|West      = ''[[Gulf of Tonkin]]''<br />[[Hà Tĩnh Province|Hà Tĩnh]], [[Nghệ An Province|Nghệ An]] and [[Thanh Hóa Province]]s, {{flagu|Vietnam}}
|Northwest = ''[[Gulf of Tonkin]]''<br />[[Haiphong]], [[Nam Định Province|Nam Định]], [[Quảng Ninh Province|Quảng Ninh]] and [[Thái Bình Province]]s, {{flagu|Vietnam}}
}}

{{Hainan topics}}
{{Hainan}}
{{SEZ}}
{{Province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Administrative divisions of Taiwan navbar}}
{{World's largest islands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hainan| ]]
[[Category:South China|.]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in China]]
[[Category:Gulf of Tonkin]]
[[Category:Islands of China]]
[[Category:Islands of Hainan]]
[[Category:Islands of the South China Sea]]
[[Category:Provinces of the People's Republic of China]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1988]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of the Republic of China]]