Qionghai (琼海 Heng-Hai in Hainanese, Qiónghǎi in Mandarin) is a county-level city on the banks of the Wanquan River in the eastern part of Hainan.
Understand
Like many other county-level cities in China, Qionghai contains many towns that are physically separate from each other. The largest town is Jiaji (嘉积), which is also Qionghai's administrative capital. Like Wenchang, Qionghai is also the ancestral hometown of many overseas Hainanese in Southeast Asia. Another important town is Bo'ao (博鳌), which is covered in a separate article.
Talk
Hainanese is the main local language in Qionghai. The dialect of Hainanese spoken here differs slightly from the prestige dialect of Wenchang, but nevertheless, speakers of both varieties can communicate without any major issues.
As with anywhere else in China, most non-elderly locals, are able to speak Mandarin as well. English is virtually non-existent.
Get in
By plane
- 1 Qionghai Bo'ao Airport (BAR IATA 博鳌机场, 琼海博鳌机场), Zhongyuan Town (中原镇) (The airport has two special bus services - nos. 1 and 2. Bus no. 1 stops at the Qionghai City Government and the Qionghai Railway Station. Bus no. 2 stops at Bo'ao and Tanmen. The fare for bus no. 1 is ¥15 and the fare for bus no. 2 is ¥20. Bus services are timed according to flight schedules. Taxis are also available), ☏ 86 898 36860114.
By train
- 2 Qionghai Railway Station (琼海站), Aihua East Road, Jiaji Town (嘉积镇爱华东路) (Bus nos. 6 and 7 will take you to the downtown area).
By bus
- Qionghai Bus Station (琼海汽车站), 51 Dongfeng Road, Jiaji Town (嘉积镇东风路51号), ☏ 86 898 62822327. This bus station is very new, having officially opened on 8 November 2019. The old bus station on Yinhai Road (which still appears on most maps) is now permanently closed.
Get around
See
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- 1 Baishi Ridge Scenic Area (白石岭风景区, White Stone Ridge Scenic Area), Jiaji Town (嘉积镇) (Public transport in the area is not very convenient (you would need to catch at least two buses and the one that actually stops at the site is rather infrequent), so it's probably best to hire a taxi), ☏ 86 898 62802186. 08:30-17:30 (the ticket office closes at 16:30). Baishi Ridge, which stands 326 metres above sea level, is the highest land formation in Qionghai. There is an old Buddhist temple near the summit. Entry fee: ¥30 (off-peak season), ¥36 (peak season). Cable car ticket: ¥45.
- 2 Red Detachment of Women Memorial Park (红色娘子军纪念园), Jiaji Town (嘉积镇) (Bus no. 1), ☏ 86 898 62802176. 08:00-17:30. Dedicated of course to the famous Red Detachment of Women, a Red Army affiliated detachment of female soldiers who fought the Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War. There is a small museum in the middle of the park, though as of November 2019, the museum is closed for repairs. Other sights in the park include a mural and an assortment of disused military equipment. Free.
Do
Buy
Eat
Qionghai is known for a dish known as Jiaji duck (嘉积鸭 Jiājī yā), one of the four famous dishes of Hainanese cuisine.