海口市

Why this place

Haikou is the capital of Hainan, on the island's north coast facing the mainland. It has the old Qilou arcaded streets built by returning overseas Chinese, a superb volcanic park nearby, and the coconut-and-seafood food culture of the island.

What to see

• The Qilou old street district — arcaded shophouses built in the early 20th century
• The Haikou Volcanic Cluster Geopark, with the Ma'anshan crater and lava tunnels
• The Hainan Museum, for the island's Li and Miao minority cultures
• Holiday Beach and the west coast, for a swim or a seafood dinner

What to eat

• Hainan chicken rice (Wenchang ji) — the island's signature dish, and the ancestor of the Southeast Asian versions
• Coconut rice, coconut chicken hotpot (yezi ji) and coconut desserts
• Seafood from the north coast, and the local 'qingbuliang' shaved-ice dessert

Best time

November–April; the island's typhoon season is July–October