Introduction of Haikou City

19 Mar 2008

Geographic Outline

　　 Situated on the northern tip of the Hainan Island, the city of Haikou faces the continent across the 18-kilometer-wide Qiongzhou Straits.

　　 Haikou has a total area of 237 square kilometers, of which 40 square kilometers are urban. It has under its jurisdiction four districts of Xiuying, Qiongshan,Meilan and Longhua. It has a permanent residential population of 580,000 and a migrant population of 150,000.

Resources　　 Haikou is rich in natural and human resources. It has long beaches, seaside swimming grounds, excellent sampan racing grounds and well-preserved volcanic remains.

　　 Historical and cultural sites in the area include the Wugong shrine, the Hai Rui Tomb, the Qiongtai Academy and the Xiuying Battery. It also has marine forest of mangroves and abundant hot spring water.

　　 Surrounded by sea on three sides, Haikou is a city with uncontaminated ecological environment. It is also noted as “a coconut city” or “a pearl on the treasure island” for its graceful coconut palms and fascinating sea scenery.

　　 Haikou also abounds in natural resources. It is major producer of natural rubber, crystal, quartz, sapphire and ilmenite in china. On its outskirts, there are deposits of freshwater sands, volcanic stones, granite and coral. The South China Sea is a rich fishing ground. Convenient transportation links the city to the sites of all these rich resources, laying a foundation for industrial development.

　　 History

　　 Haikou is an ancient city. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Haikou was a port of the prefectural city of Qiongzhou and became a communications hub between the Hainan Island and the mainland. The place was called Haikoupu during the early years of the Song Dynasty (906-1279), and Haikoudu during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It became a trade port, the south gate to China and a major link between China and the outside world.

　　 It was called Haikou town during the early years of the Republic of China (1912-1949) and became a city in 1926. On June 1, 1950, the Haikou City Government was established. It became the provincial capital when Hainan province was established in 1988.

　　 Economic Achievements

　　 The past eight years since Hainan became a province have been the most brilliant period in Haikou’s development history. In 1992, Haikou became one of China’s 50 strongest cities in terms of overall economic strength and one of China’s 40 best cities in terms of investment environment. It has also been one of China’s outstanding cities in terms of environmental harnessing, one of China’s best cities, one of China’s cleanest cities and one of China’s model cities in “double support” (mutual support between the army and civilians).

　　 During the 1988-1995 period, its gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 23%, its retail sales, at an annual rate of 31.8%, fiscal revenue, at an annual rate of 45.1%, foreign trade, at an annual rate of 26.1%, and capital investment, at an annual rate of 40.2%. All principal indicators of economic and social development maintained a fast-growing momentum.