worldaltem: Haikou, Hainan Island in China March 14, 2018

FACEBOOK POST Haikou is the capital of Hainan, an island province off the southern coast of mainland China. Our first stop was Baishamen Park where it was gently raining. The park had a small amusement park, lake, garden walkways and shops. A string band of mostly women who were beautifully dressed in the typical qipoa were seated along the sidewalk. They played for our entertainment while their friends held umbrellas over their heads and we held umbrellas over our heads. After that, we went to Old Town and the rain stopped. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the white stucco buildings, a blend of colonial-era Portuguese and French facades with Indian and Arabic accents, a style known as “”tong lau”. Much of the historic district was built by wealthy Chinese from the mainland. I enjoyed all the architectural details. Some of the shops we visited included a coconut carving store, clothing, tea, groceries, decor, jewelry etc. We spent a lot of time walking around people watching and looking at the buildings. We also visited another temple.

About the picture - On a side street, we observed a shop blessing ceremony. The ceremony included Lion Dancers, dummers, and cymbals. Two men carried an altar from shop to shop. When the procession moved on, some shop owners had a little fire burning on the sidewalk and others lit long strings of firecrackers. The lion dance is done to bring good luck and fortune and to exorcise evil spirits. The lion dance is performed by two, often acrobatic, people versus the dragon dance which requires three to ten people. The firecrackers are made from strings of rolled red paper containing gunpowder. It is believed the loud noise will scare away evil spirits. It was an interesting experience in Haikou, Hainan, China.

Capital of China’s Hainan province, the vibrant and remarkably modern city of Haikou is situated on Hainan Island, off the southern coast of mainland China. With its stategic location near the mouth of the Nandu River, the culturally rich city grew into a walled fortification during the Ming dynasty. Today, nestled amid its gleaming skyscrapers, the Old Town is a gleaming-white blend of colonial-era Portuguese and French facades with Indian and Arabic accents, a style known as “”tong lau”. Much of the historic district was built by wealthy Chinese from the mainland and today is lined with market stalls and arcades selling colorful wares, from fabrics and clothing to spices and dried foods. We saw many drapery showrooms and many lighting stores in one area. Another street was dedicated to clothing.

Haikou Highlights (included tour) Haikou Highlights (included tour)

This is China’s seldom-visited port city of Haikou, rich in diverse and remarkably preserved architecture. The thriving capital of the island province of Hainan is located where the Nandu River empties into the South China Sea. After a thirty minute ride to Baishaman Park, spent one hour exploring this 148 acre park which draws locals and visitors with its small amusement park and artificial lake. It was raining, but a string band was playing upon our arrival protected by umbrellas held by their friends. We could have enjoyed a stroll along the sandy beach that spills into Qiongzhou Strait but we walked around the park and amusement park in the rain instead. Our second stop was the Old Town. Here we admived a rich and unique blend of Euopean and Asian architecture decorated with Indian and Arabic touches. Roman-style columns and arches, intricately carved reliefs and delicate colorful window frames create a unique atmosphere. Spent about four hours walking around looking at the architecture and taking pictures. Some of the shops we visited included a coconut carving store, clothing, tea, groceries, decor, jewelry etc. We visited the Haikou Shophouse Exhibition Center which offered a model of the city and videos and displays of the develpment of the Old Town. I took a lot of pictures of people passing by on the street . We also found a "Shop Blessing Ceremony" in an alley. It involved a Dragon Dance, drumming, cymbals, an alter, small fire built on the sidewalk, and firecrackers. At the end of our visit it was a twenty minute ride back to the ship.