Exploring Hainan's History: 1 City, 4 Towns, 3 Villages—Discover Hainan's Historical Imprints Here.

"One City, Four Towns, Three Villages"—the historical imprints of Hainan can be seen and touched in these places. Engraved with the depth of Hainan’s years, they hold the cultural heritage of the island. This May Day, if you want to trace the history of Hainan, you can go to these places to explore~

One City: Haikou

Four Towns: Yacheng Town, Zhonghe Town, Puqian Town, Dingcheng Town

Three Villages: Baoping Village, Shibaxing Village, Gaolin Village

One City: Haikou

Haikou Famous Historical and Cultural City

Haikou City has a history of nearly one thousand years since its opening as a port during the Northern Song Dynasty. The "Fucheng + Suocheng" dual-city pattern reflects the historical development context of Haikou from inland rivers to the ocean, representing the crystallization of the island's city-building wisdom. The urban texture of "Seven Wells, Eight Alleys, and Thirteen Streets," the Qilou Old Street featuring a fusion of Chinese and Western architecture, and cultural heritage sites like the literary landmark Qiongtai Academy all bear witness to the long history and culture of the island.

Qiongtai Academy

Fucheng Drum Tower

Fucheng Ancient City Wall

Four Towns: Yacheng Town, Zhonghe Town, Puqian Town, Dingcheng Town

Sanya Yacheng Famous Historical and Cultural Town

Yacheng Town (present-day Yazhou District) was the seat of the furthest commandery, prefecture, army, and county in ancient southern China. It is a vital border town and a gateway to coastal defense, known as having "two thousand years of establishment history and the seat of eight dynasties." Historical sites such as the Yazhou Ancient City Wall, Yacheng Confucian Temple, and Lingxing Gate witness the changes of history.

Danzhou Zhonghe Famous Historical and Cultural Town

Zhonghe Town implies "Achieve the state of harmony, and heaven and earth will be in their places, and all things will be nourished." It has a history of over 1,300 years. Because the great literary giant Su Dongpo was once exiled and lived here, it is also known as the "Hometown of Poetry and Couplets." Many cultural relics and historic sites remain, such as Dongpo Academy and Guanglang An.

Dongpo Academy

Danzhou Zhonghe Qilou (Source: Hainan Planning Exhibition Archive)

Wenchang Puqian Famous Historical and Cultural Town

Puqian Town boasts a thousand-year history of establishment and was anciently called "Furong Pu." It was an important port for defending territory and for merchants to travel in the past. Historical relics such as the Qilou Old Street, Xibei Academy, Doubing Pagoda, Mulan Lighthouse, and ancient wharves inherit the profound cultural memories of Puqian Town.

Wenchang Puqian Old Street (Source: Wenchang Government Website)

Wenchang Xibei Academy (Source: Hainan Planning Exhibition Archive)

Ding'an Dingcheng Famous Historical and Cultural Town

Dingcheng Town has a long history and is known as "Little Suzhou." It is the best-preserved county seat wall in Hainan. The West and North city gates, as well as historical sites like the Old County Government Office, the Jieyuan Arch, and the Yayuan Arch, still retain their ancient charm.

Ding'an Dingcheng Old County Government Office (Source: Ding'an People's Government Website)

Three Villages: Baoping Village, Shibaxing Village, Gaolin Village

Sanya Baoping Famous Historical and Cultural Village

Baoping Village has a history of more than 1,100 years and possesses profound cultural heritage. The carved beams and piers of the Chen Family Ancient Residence and Zhang Family Ancient Residence are carriers of Baoping's ancient residential architectural art. Historical and cultural relics such as Baoping Academy, Nine-Surname Ancestral Hall, and Baoping Port demonstrate the prosperity of the past. The melodious Yazhou folk songs have been passed down from generation to generation, singing of the villagers' optimism and affluence.

Baoping Village Ancient Architecture Complex (Source: Hainan Daily)

Wenchang Huiwen Town Shibaxing Famous Historical and Cultural Village

Shibaxing Village is distributed in a fan shape with eighteen rows of courtyards. The courtyards are aligned, and the ridges are of the same height, symbolizing "brothers united, neighbors not deceived." Historical relics such as the wood carvings in the Jimiu Hall, stone carvings on the ridge tops, flower and bird murals, as well as ancient alleys and century-old water wells in the village, are all engraved with deep sentiments of overseas Chinese.

Shibaxing Village, Huiwen Town, Wenchang City (Source: Hainan Planning Exhibition Archive)

Ding'an Longhu Town Gaolin Famous Historical and Cultural Village

Gaolin Village was built in the twelfth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. The residential buildings in the village are in Qing Dynasty architectural style, with bluestone paths and alleys, appearing rustic and natural. The village features natural landscapes such as the Sun-Moon Well, the Ancient Official Road, and the Eight Sceneries of Gaolin. It also holds precious cultural relics such as camel-hump wood carvings and palm wood carvings of couplets handwritten by Zhang Yuesong, all witnessing the transmission of a century-old cultural lineage.

Ding'an Gaolin Village

These 8 historical and cultural check-in spots are recognized Hainan historical and cultural heritage sites in Hainan. In 2025, special historical and cultural protection plans were also issued to provide planning guidance for the comprehensive and systematic protection of Hainan's historical and cultural heritage, and to strengthen protection control and inheritance utilization. (The file can be seen at the end of the article)

These ancient cities, ancient towns, and ancient villages carry the history of Hainan and serve as the memory base color of a city. Relying on ancient village cultural resources, corresponding facilities such as intangible cultural heritage workshops, rural homestays, study tour experiences, farmhouse cultural creations, and specialty light catering have been created. This gives the ancient cities new energy, allowing for various experiences while understanding history.