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Romance|Haikou, a city of emotions

Published: 2022-08-04 13:19:07
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What are the cities you have visited in Romantic? Perhaps, you already have the answer in your mind.

The romance of a city depends on its taste, which comes from its historical and cultural connotations, its natural and human environment, as well as its economic strength.

Known as the 'Coconut City', Haikou has a history and culture of over 1000 years, which has established the city's connotations.

As the oldest, largest and richest collection of cultural relics in Hainan, the Five Official's Temple is of great historical, artistic and scientific value; the ancient charm of the Southern-style Cavalry Street has formed a mixed European and Asian urban style of the Cavalry Building Historical and Cultural District; the elegant Haikou Bell Tower was first built to accommodate foreign trade and has become an important landmark and The Shishan Volcanic Group National Geopark in Haikou is the most concentrated area on Hainan Island where signs of neotectonic movement have developed, preserving the world's most complete volcanic crater, which is over 13,000 years old.

People walk through the old cavalry streets, living a leisurely life amidst history and modernity. Photo by Xu Ersheng

People walk through the old cavalry streets, living a leisurely life amidst history and modernity. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The deep cultural heritage of Haikou gives it a unique and refined atmosphere.

With the impact of reform and opening up, Haikou bravely stands at the forefront of the tide, strives for progress and becomes more graceful under the immersion of the rhythm of coconut and sea.

In recent years, Haikou has optimised urban transport, comprehensively promoted urban renewal, continued to create a vibrant and beautiful countryside, and shaped a new image of the city.

The newest Netflix hit spot - Haikou Cloud Cave Library is an iconic art building in Haikou Bay. When beauty meets books, reading and resting blend just right; the 1942 Fang Hua Scenic Area, Nanyang District and Old Beijing Street in Mission Hills Feng Xiaogang Film Commune ...... walk into The Film Commune is like stepping into a real film or TV drama set. The hutongs of the old days and the trams that pass by slowly, instantly transport you through the years of your youth.

Several girls reading in the Cloud Cave Library. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Several girls reading in the Cloud Cave Library. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Haikou is a low-key city, with sculptures of all kinds scattered in the hutongs and lanes, romantic and literary, exquisite and beautiful. Walking in the coastal district, you can not only look at the sea and listen to the waves, but also enjoy the gentle shadows of the coconut. Greenery and flowers are everywhere, soaking up the sunshine and blooming with abandon.

Placing youth in the four seasons of Haikou. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Placing youth in the four seasons of Haikou. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The people of Haikou are cheerful, warm, simple and kind, and when you stop in the city, you immediately feel a strong warmth, and you can't help but "fall in love" with the trillium.

Art and literature moisten the heart

At the end of 2019, renowned composer Tan Dun led nearly two hundred artists from the Bard Philharmonic Orchestra of New York and the China Symphony Orchestra Chorus in the classic work "Dunhuang - Ode to Compassion" at the Haikou Bay Performing Arts Centre.

After the performance, the applause was endless.

The landing of the "new" theatre has brought more than poetry and distant lands to Haikou. Haikou continues to improve the city's public cultural facilities, introduce high-quality cultural works, create new landmarks of high-quality performances, and continuously enrich the cultural life of its citizens.

The performance menu of Haikou Bay Performing Arts Centre includes not only dance, drama and concerts, but also opera, musicals, stand-up comedy and acrobatics, presenting international, pioneering and youthful performances. At the same time, the centre will be operated by a joint venture between Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd. and the Haiyang Tourism Group, a state-owned enterprise of the city, to ensure a continuous supply of exciting cultural and artistic feasts by connecting with global quality performance resources.

According to reports, the Haikou Bay Performing Arts Centre has given a total of over 200 performances in the past two years, with over 200,000 people watching the performances.

The theatre is a tangible manifestation of a city's culture and can bring a multicultural flavour to a city.

Located on Guoxing Avenue in Haikou City, the Hainan Provincial Song and Dance Theatre was officially built in August 2010 as a base for artistic production, exchange, performance and a centre for artistic activities, learning and coaching open to the general public.

Not long ago, the original musical "South of Hometown" by the Hainan Provincial School of Culture and Arts was performed at the Hainan Provincial Opera and Dance Theatre. The ups and downs of the storyline in a stirring piece of music made people feel the passion and perseverance of the islanders of Hainan inside and outside the play.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, the large-scale music and dance epic "The Liberation of Hainan Island" was staged at the Hainan Provincial Song and Dance Theatre to showcase the glorious journey of the PLA across the sea to liberate Hainan Island. The entire performance was majestic and climactic.

A trickle of water becomes an ocean, and the fiery simplicity of emotions converge to form a great love for the homeland. The dance poem "Li Homeland" also opened at the Hainan Provincial Opera House. Through the meeting, acquaintance and love of a young man and woman, Parman and Baikou, it shows a picture of the happy life and living of the Li compatriots.

Thematic arts and cultural activities allow today's young people to be educated on the "Three Views" and inspire confidence and determination to build their careers.

The Hainan Provincial Museum, also located on Guoxing Avenue in Haikou, regularly hosts exhibitions of cultural relics and art, where the public can witness the passage of time and receive historical and cultural enrichment through a variety of relics and artworks. The Hainan Provincial Library, a public cultural venue in the new era, is a constant source of cultural nourishment for students.

Members of the public visit the art works exhibition and are consciously inspired by art. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Members of the public visit the art works exhibition and are consciously inspired by art. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Painter Ding Mengfang poses in front of his work. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Painter Ding Mengfang poses in front of his work. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Built in October 1956, the Haikou Library carries the memories of the city and has become a fond memory of Haikou people.

Libraries in four districts of Haikou are now open to the public for easy reading. During the opening period, you can also learn to make DIY traditional hangings by hand with your children at home and have parent-child reading exchanges in a relaxed and lively reading environment.

In addition, the Haikou Museum, officially opened in February 2010, is a local comprehensive museum in Hainan Province, also known as the "Wugong Ancestral Hall", across the bridge from the Wugong Ancestral Hall and echoing the "First Building of Hainan".

Of course, for young people who love to follow the stars, going to a concert at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou is the first choice.

The Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou has hosted concerts by big-name stars such as Alan Tam, Jacky Cheung, Miriam Yeung, Priscilla Chan, Angela Zhang and Hua Chenyu, including singer Jay Zhang's tour and Zhang Xinzhe's "Future Style 2.0" concert, attracting a large number of fans from home and abroad to Haikou to enjoy an unforgettable musical time.

Poetic and idyllic living

Haikou builds beautiful villages in the process of promoting rural revitalisation, opening up a poetic and idyllic life for Haikou people.

Inadvertently, you can stay at a bed and breakfast with a nostalgic feel, touch the countryside with your heart, and find a spiritual habitat away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Set up a contemporary art-inspired wedding that reflects the fashionable pursuits of young couples.Photo by Xu Ersheng

Set up a contemporary art-inspired wedding that reflects the fashionable pursuits of young couples.Photo by Xu Ersheng

Once a deserted village with few visitors, the village of Quangyangdong in Lingshan Town, Meilan District, Haikou, is now famous on the internet for its "898 Art Village".

In less than three years, the village has been transformed by the implantation of art cells and the preservation of old houses and tiles, and the involvement of artists to activate unused houses.

According to reports, the Kwon Yeo Dong Village currently has six exhibition halls, more than 40 art institutions and various studios where artists specialising in music, painting and calligraphy, sculpture and more gather. This year, the village will also add commercial elements such as cafes and art shops.

The equally artistic Fang Yuan Village in Haikou is a simple yet refreshingly pure paradise in the ancient village + B&B, where you can be immersed in the characteristic courtyard space of northern Qiongbei, between sculptures, paintings and collections. The village organically integrates the eight elegant cultures of "qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers and tea", allowing visitors to enjoy an immersive experience of slow living.

Yao Cheng Village is one of the famous historical and cultural villages in Haikou City, and is the main vein of the famous historical and cultural town. The village originated in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, when Fu Guanmei, the 57th grandson of the founder of the Fu clan, moved to the village as the prime minister of Anren County, and took his four sons to live in three separate villages, Xibian, Xipai and Qunlong, until the late Qing Dynasty, when the three villages were joined together as Yao Cheng Village.

The revitalisation of the countryside has been promoted, and the scenery of Yaocheng, with its "swallow tail and dragon ridge, golden mountain and silver bow, grey walls and green tiles", has been greatly enhanced. With the new look of the old village and the nostalgia of the hometown, Yaocheng Village has now become a good place for families to visit.

A cheerful bamboo dance with guests who have come from far and wide. Photo by Xu Ersheng

A cheerful bamboo dance with guests who have come from far and wide. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Deep into the countryside, we can return to nature. A painter's brush and white walls are used as paper to decorate a village that has been silent for a hundred years.

Walking into the old revolutionary village of Zhongkai, surrounded by greenery, green tiles and white walls and beautiful scenery, I felt the strength to rise upwards in my heart and a sense of happiness that I have never felt before.

In the Haikou countryside you can not only experience art, but also kiss the taste of flowers. As a tropical flower countryside tourism spot, the Haikou Triangle Plum Sharing Farm attracts a large number of citizens and tourists every year, and the villagers of Biangyang Village in Qiongshan District have made their fortunes.

If you have enough leisure time, you can also visit Benli Village in Hongqi Town, Haikou, to experience the passing years of the intellectuals.

The village of Shicha in Shishan Town, Haikou, has adopted the innovative model of integration of "agriculture + culture + tourism", with the volcanic dendrobium industrial park as the core, and has created a number of special lodges and farmhouses to attract tourists to sightsee, ride, pick, stay and buy agricultural products.

Uncle Cao, 76, loves to play the saxophone and make happy songs. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Uncle Cao, 76, loves to play the saxophone and make happy songs. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The countryside is rich and beautiful, full of verdant; melons and fruits are fragrant and picturesque ...... Haikou this beauty, will never leave with you.

New business and new fashion

Haikou is also a great city to visit and hit the town, with a different kind of fashion.

As the 'Charming City of China', Haikou has always been able to handle the old and the new with style.

In 1928, Zhou Chengmei, a patriotic businessman, mobilised overseas Chinese to donate and raise funds to build a clock tower in Haikou in 1929, modelled on coastal cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai, at the Changdi Road pier, which is far from the entrance to the sea, in order to unify the time. The walls were built with red bricks and white lime. The clock is set on the fifth floor and chimes every 30 minutes.

The Haikou Bell Tower has become a symbol of maritime culture and commercial civilisation. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The Haikou Bell Tower has become a symbol of maritime culture and commercial civilisation. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Through the years, the ancient clock tower has been clothed in modern technology. As night falls, the light show of Haikou Clock Tower arrives as promised, with neon glittering and light floating, reuniting history and modernity, and blending ancient and fashion. People and tourists stopped to watch the show, picking up their mobile phones to record everything in front of them and indulging in the magnificent light show.

If one must look for an element of Haikou's city, then the Cloud Cave Library is considered an artistic powerhouse among the new businesses.

From the Cloud Cave Library you can enjoy a quiet view of the Century Bridge not far away. Photo by Xu Ersheng

From the Cloud Cave Library you can enjoy a quiet view of the Century Bridge not far away. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The Haikou Yundong Library is the first reservation-based public reading space to be completed and put into use as part of the "Station by the Sea" public art project. It is dedicated to promoting reading for the public good, enhancing the humanistic atmosphere of the city, and carrying the core contents of civic services, humanistic architecture, tourism landmarks, urban history and cultural and creative development.

From a distance, the Cloud Cave Library looks like a converter between the city and the sea, with the endless sea in front of you and the bustling city behind you. At the beginning of the day in the east, with Haikou Bay reflecting a golden glow, step into the Cloud Cave Library and quietly look at the sea view through the glass, with pure white clouds flowing slowly in front of you.

The Cloud Cave Library is less like a library and more like an art building. Soft and enchanting, it is more in keeping with the temperament of a beautiful girl.

Haikou, the sea cannot be missing.

The public marina of the National Sailing Base in Haikou is the one built by the sea and moored with numerous yachts. This is a unified construction of the National Sailing and Windsurfing Training Base harbour pond and the public marina to create a sports tourism complex that integrates national sailing and windsurfing, water recreation for public visitors and maritime tourism.

At the public pier of the National Sailing Base in Haikou, there are not only professional athletes but also amateurs, conquering the sea with skill and power. Many handsome men and women who love to fly on the tips of the waves can sail here and feel the greatness of the waves.

Visitor Centre at the National Sailing Base Public Pier in Haikou. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Visitor Centre at the National Sailing Base Public Pier in Haikou. Photo by Xu Ersheng

When it comes to new trendy places in Haikou that are literary and artistic, the Haikou West Coast Contemporary Art Museum can be listed. The museum was initiated by Zhao Xinxiu, a famous oil painter, designer and curator of the "One Belt, One Road" world tour, and was jointly created by the Haikou Municipal Government and the Haikou Tourism and Culture Investment Holding Group.

Haikou Cavalry Old Street is full of shops, and Guoxin Bookstore is definitely a special presence.

Known as the "first cavalcade in the water lane", Haikou Guoxin Bookstore is located in the historical and cultural heritage of Haikou, integrating art exhibition, cultural salon, coffee and tea and book business. It is an important platform for the display, gathering and discussion of Hainan's cultural scene.

Since its opening in 2016, it has held a number of painting and calligraphy art exhibitions and won an excellent reputation. In addition, Guoxin Shuyuan has also created a painter's village, which has set up a creation room, a sketching base, a conference centre, a gallery and a hotel, as well as a teahouse and a café for painters to enjoy peace and comfort while sketching.

The new generation in Haikou has a more liberal and open romantic sensibility. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The new generation in Haikou has a more liberal and open romantic sensibility. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Combining the ancestral business started by our forefathers with contemporary art, constantly optimising human resources, building a new Haikou of leisure, romance and vitality, moving gracefully forward in the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, and presenting the city of Haikou to the world in the most beautiful way.

Written by Xu Ersheng

Produced by China.com Hainan

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