Hainan

Hainan read Jái-Nan ( listen) (in Chinese, Șre-reflection; pinyin, Hăinán shěng; literally, ‘South Sea’ is the smallest and southernmost province of the People’s Republic of China, formed by several islands of the South China Sea. The island of Hainan, the largest and most populous in China, is the vast majority (97 %) of the province. "Hainan", the name of the island and the province, literally means "south of the sea", which reflects its position south of the Qiongzhou Strait, which separates it from the peninsula of Leizhou, in Guangdong, and from the rest of the mainland China. In the Chinese language, Hainan is officially known as Hainan Dao.

The province covers an area of 33,920 square kilometers, of which Hainan Island has 32,900 square kilometers and the rest are more than 200 islands spread over three archipelagos: Zhongsha, Xisha and Nansha. It was part of Guangdong between 1950 and 1988, after which it returned to being a major entity and was almost immediately converted into the largest Special Economic Zone by Deng Xiaoping as part of China's economic reform program at the time.

The Li (or Hlai) people, a Kra-dai-speaking ethnic group, are the oldest on the island, making up 15% of the population. Their native languages are the Hlai languages. The Chinese government recognizes them as one of the country's 56 ethnic groups. The Han population, who make up the majority of the population (82%), speak a wide variety of languages, including Mandarin, Minhainanese, Yue Chinese, Lingaoese, and Hakka Chinese.

There are ten major cities and ten counties in Hainan province. The capital of the province is Haikou, on the north coast of Hainan Island, while Sanya is a well-known tourist destination on the south coast. The other major cities are Wenchang, Sansha, Qionghai, Wanning, Wuzhishan, Dongfang, and Danzhou.

According to China's land claims, several territories in the South China Sea, including the Spratly (Nansha) and Paracel (Xisha) islands, are theoretically administered under the provincial city of Sansha.

On June 1, 2020, the Chinese government announced a large-scale plan to transform the entire island province into a free trade port, with the goal of making it China's largest special economic zone. The island it is also China's first blockchain sandbox which was officially launched in 2019.

History

Prehistory

Hainan was originally attached to the northeastern part of what is now Vietnam; however, the island was formed after it was physically separated from Vietnam by a volcanic eruption and moved southeast near China after the Mesozoic millions of years ago.

Imperial Age

Hainan Island first entered recorded history in 110 B.C. C., when the Han dynasty of China established a military garrison there after the arrival of General Lu Bode. In 46 B.C. C., the Han court decided that the conquest was too costly and abandoned the island. Around this time, Han Chinese, along with military personnel and officials, began to immigrate to Hainan Island from the mainland. Among them were the descendants of those who were banished to Hainan for political reasons. Most of them came to Hainan Island from the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi.

The Li people (Hlai people) are the original kra-dai inhabitant of Hainan. They are believed to have settled there at least 2–6,000 years ago, and carry genetic markers from ancient peoples who arrived on the island between 7–27,000 years ago.

During the Three Kingdoms period (184-280), Hainan was the Zhuya Commandery (珠崖郡) under the control of the Eastern Wu.

At the time of the Song dynasty (960-1279), Hainan became part of Guangxi, and for the first time large numbers of Han Chinese arrived, settling mainly in the north. Under the Mongol Empire (1206-1368), the island became an independent province, and in 1370, the Ming dynasty brought it under Guangdong administration. In the 16th and 17th centuries, large numbers of Han people from Fujian and Guangdong began to migrate to Hainan, pushing the Li into the highlands of the southern half of the island. In the 18th century, the Li rebelled against the Qing Empire, which responded by bringing in mercenaries from the Miao regions of Guizhou. Many of the Miao settled on the island and their descendants live to this day in the western highlands.

Map of the island of Hainan of the centuryXVIII.

In 1906, revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen proposed that Hainan become an independent province, although this did not happen until 1988.

Republic of China

Old town of Haikou, 2021

Historically, Hainan was part of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces and as such constituted Qiongya Circuit (瓊崖道) under the establishment of the ROC in 1912. In 1921, it was planned to become an administrative region special (瓊崖特別行政區); in 1944, it became the Hainan Special Administrative Region, with 16 counties, including the South China Sea Islands.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Hainan was a hotbed of communist activity, especially after a bloody crackdown in Shanghai, the ROC, in 1927 drove many communists into hiding. The communists and the indigenous Hlai people waged a vigorous guerrilla campaign against the Imperial Japanese occupation, Operation Hainan Island (1939-45), but in retaliation the Japanese launched numerous massacres against the Hlai villages. Feng Baiju led the Hainan Independent Column of fighters during the 1930s and 1940s. Following the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Kuomintang re-established control. Hainan was one of the last areas to come under the administration of the People's Republic, having been under the control of ROC forces until March 1950.

People's Republic of China

Between March and May 1950, the Chinese Communists in the Battle of Hainan Island captured the island. Hainan had been left in command of Xue Yue after Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. Feng Baiju and his guerrilla column played an essential role in scouting the landing operation and coordinated their own offensive from their jungle bases on the island. This allowed the seizure of Hainan to succeed where the Kinmen (Quemoy) and Dengbu assaults had failed the previous fall.

The takeover was made possible by the presence of a local guerrilla force that also did not exist in Taiwan. Thus, although many observers of the Chinese civil war thought that the fall of the island of Hainan to the communists would soon be followed by the fall of the island of Taiwan, the lack of any communist guerrilla force on the island of Taiwan and its vast distance from the mainland made this impossible, as did the arrival of the US 7th Fleet in the Taiwan Strait after the outbreak of the Korean War in June. Furthermore, Haikou, although highly populated compared to many other international cities, is geographically quite small, with hardly any urban sprawl. Much of the city limits end abruptly in forest or farmland.

On May 1, 1950, under the PRC, the Special Administrative Region became an Administrative Region Office (海南行政区公署), a branch of the Guangdong provincial government.

The communists resumed development of the island along lines laid out by the Japanese, [clarification needed] but the results were limited by the island's isolation, its humid and typhoon-prone climate, and its continuing reputation as a place of danger and exile by mainland Chinese. With the change in China's economic policy in the late 1970s, Hainan became a focus of attention.

In the mid-1980s, when Hainan Island was still part of Guangdong Province, a fourteen-month episode of commercial zeal by Hainan Special District Administrator Lei Yu called into question Hainan's aspiration to provincial status. It involved the duty-free importation from Hong Kong of 90,000 Japanese-made cars and trucks at a cost of 4.5 billion yen ($1.5 billion), and their export - with the help of local naval units - to the mainland, earning 150 % profit. By comparison, only 10,000 vehicles have been imported into Hainan since 1950. In addition, there were other shipments of 2.9 million televisions, 252,000 VCRs and 122,000 motorcycles. The money was drawn from the 1983 central government funds earmarked for the construction of the island's transport infrastructure (roads, railways, airports, ports) over the next ten years.

On October 1, 1984, it became the Hainan Administrative Region (海南行政区), with a People's Government, and finally a separate province from Guangdong four years later. In 1988, when the island became a separate province, it was designated a Special Economic Zone in an effort to increase investment.

In June 2020, China announced a master plan for the Hainan free trade port system. Announced by state news agency Xinhua, "Hainan will basically establish a free trade port system by 2025 and become more mature by 2035." The South China Morning Post described such an initiative as an effort by the PRC for "replacing Hong Kong as a commercial entrepôt", while Cheng Shi of ICBC International has refused to accept such a claim. global business practices, especially in this project.

Administrative division

Hainan Province uses a slightly different administrative system than other provinces in China. Most other provinces are divided entirely into prefectural-level divisions, each of which is further divided into county-level divisions. County-level divisions generally do not report directly to the province. In Hainan, almost all county divisions (except the eight counties) report directly to the province. This method of division is due to the relatively sparse population of Hainan.

Hainan Administrative Divisions
Haikou Sanya Sansha Danzhou Wuzhishan Qionghai Wenchang Wanning Dongfang Ding'an Tunchang Chengmai Lingao Baisha Changjiang Ledong Lingshui Baoting Qiongzhong . Provincial Divisions administered at county level sovereignty over Sansha is disputed, see Territorial conflict in the sea of southern China.
Code of division	Division	Area in km2	Population (2020 census)	Headquarters	Divisions
					Districts	County	Self-contained	Cities-condado
460000	Hainan Province	35191.00	10,081,232	Haikou City	10	4	6	5
460100	Haikou City	2304.80	2,873,358	Xiuying District	4
460200	City of Sanya	1910.67	1,031,396	Jiyang District	4
460300	Sansha City*	788.00	2.333	Xisha District	2
460400	City of Danzhou#	3394.00	954,259	Nothing.
469001	Wuzhishan City**	1131.00	112.269	Tongza town				1
469002	Qionghai City**	1710.14	528,238	Jiaji town				1
469005	Wenchang City**	2459.18	560.894	Wencheng town				1
469006	Wanning City**	1899.90	545,992	Wancheng town				1
469007	Dongfang City**	2272.29	444.458	Basuo town				1
469021	Ding'an County**	1187.00	284,690	Dingcheng town		1
469022	Tunchang County**	1223.97	255,335	Tuncheng town		1
469023	Chengmai County**	2076.28	497,953	Jinjiang town		1
469024	Lingao County**	1343.33	420.594	Lincheng town		1
469025	Baisha self-contained county**	2117.20	164.699	Yacha town			1
469026	Changjiang self-contained county**	1617.70	232,124	Shilu town			1
469027	Ledong self-contained county**	2763.53	464,435	Baoyou town			1
469028	Lingshui autonomous county**	1121.24	372,511	Yelin town			1
469029	Autonomous County li and mine of Baoting**	1166.78	156,108	Baocheng town			1
469030	Self-contained li and miao Qiongzhong**	2704.00	179,586	Yinggen town			1
* - The sovereignty over Sansha (including the Paracel, Spratly and Zhongsha Islands) is in dispute. ** - Divisions administered directly at county level # - does not contain any division at county level

Urban areas

Geography

At 33,920 km², Hainan is the largest island in the People's Republic of China, which however considers it its second largest island, while Taiwan is seen as the largest.

It is separated from the Asian mainland by the Qiongzhou Strait (琼州海峡), which separates it from the Leizhou Peninsula (雷州半岛), in Guangdong province. To the west of Hainan lies the Gulf of Tonkin. Mount Wuzhi (1,876 meters) is the highest mountain on the island.

According to the People's Republic of China, Hainan Province includes not only this island, but also some 200 smaller islands in the South China Sea. On these islands (called Spratly and Paracel) there is a conflict over sovereignty, which is disputed to varying degrees by the People's Republic of China itself, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam and the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Most of Hainan's rivers originate in the central area of the island and flow radially in different directions. The Nandu River, in the northern part of the island, is 314 km long, and its tributary, the Xinwu River, 109 km. Other major rivers are the 162 km long Wanquan in the east, the Changhua in the west, and the Sanya in the south. Evaporation during the dry season in coastal areas greatly reduces the flow of rivers.

There are very few natural lakes in Hainan. However, there are numerous reservoirs, the largest of which is Songtao, in the north-central area.

Economy

Hainan's economy is predominantly agricultural, with more than half of the island's exports being agricultural products. However, Hainan's elevation to the status of province (1988) was accompanied by its designation as the largest "special economic zone" of China, with the intention of accelerating the development of the abundant resources of the island. Prior to this, the province had a reputation as a 'wild west' area, largely untouched by industrialisation; even today there are relatively few factories in the province. Tourism is an important part of Hainan's economy, thanks in large part to its tropical beaches and lush forests. The central government has encouraged foreign investment in Hainan and has allowed the island to be highly dependent on market forces.

Hainan's industrial development has been largely limited to processing its mineral and agricultural products, especially rubber and iron ore. Since the 1950s, the Haikou area has been manufacturing machinery, agricultural equipment, and textiles for local consumption. One of the main constraints to industrial expansion has been the inadequate supply of electricity. Much of the island's generating capacity is hydroelectric, and is subject to seasonal fluctuations in stream and river flows.

Rice field, one of the main crops in the province.

Agriculture

Due to Hainan's tropical climate, paddy rice is widely grown in the northeastern lowlands and southern mountain valleys. The main crops, other than rice, are coconut, oil palm, sisal, tropical fruits (including pineapple, of which Hainan is China's leading producer), black pepper, coffee, tea, cashews, and sugar cane.

The hot Hainan yellow lantern chili, a variety similar to the scotch bonnet, is unique to the island, grown in the southeast and southwest.

Hainan's total tropical cultivation area is 100,000 hectares.

Hainan yellow Chili.

Hainan is a major producer of rubber. In the early 20th century, Chinese emigrants returning from what was then British Malaya introduced rubber trees to the island; after 1950, state farms developed, and Hainan now produces a substantial amount of China's rubber. Natural rubber is currently grown on 246,000 hectares of land. This area ranks sixth in the world in terms of harvested area and fifth in terms of production.

Hainan has nearly 93,000 hectares of areca palm trees. The product, the areca nut, is consumed locally and is also shipped to the mainland. 95% of the Chinese production of this nut is produced in Hainan.

Domestic farm animals are mainly goats, cows, water buffalo, chickens, geese and ducks.

Tourism

A beachside resort in Sanya, the second largest city in Hainan.

Hainan Island is usually divided into eight regions for tourism purposes: Haikou and its area (Haikou, Qiongshan, Ding'an); the Northeast (Wenchang); the Central East Coast (Qionghai, Ding'an); the South East Coast; the South (Sanya); the West Coast, also called the Chinese Riviera (Ledong, Dongfang, Xianghsui, Changjiang); the Northwest (Danzhou, Lingao, Chengmai); and the Central Highlands (Baisha, Qiongzhong, and Wuzhishan/Tongzha).

The most popular tourist destinations are the beaches and tourist centers in the south of the province. Inland is the Five Finger Mountain, a scenic area. Tourists also visit the capital, Haikou, with tourist attractions in the area such as Haikou Film City and Holiday Beach.

Free Trade Zone

On April 13, 2018, Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping announced a plan to gradually turn the island into a pilot free trade zone by 2020, and transform the entire island into a free trade port for the year 2025. This will involve inviting foreign and multinational companies to establish their regional and international headquarters in Hainan. Goods and services would be subject to low or even zero tariffs. The zone will become China's largest free trade zone and the first commercial port since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded. Part of the plan is to establish commodity exchanges and carbon trading, international energy and transportation maritime. Emphasis will also be placed on the development of service industries, such as tourism, the Internet, healthcare, finance, as well as hosting conferences and exhibitions.

Since the announcement in April 2018, Hainan had signed 159 contracts with large companies. In September 2018, China National Travel Service Group, China's largest travel business conglomerate, moved its headquarters from Beijing to Haikou. In October 2018, Baidu and Hainan signed an agreement to build a 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) eco-village.

In September 2018, a symposium on foreign investment projects in Hainan was held in Beijing. During that meeting, the Hainan government signed contracts with 26 international companies, including Globevisa Group, Merlin Entertainments Group, Viacom, IKEA, Mapletree Investments, Avis Budget Group, Star Cruises and Boehringer Ingelheim.

To bring talented workers to Hainan, in November 2018 the Hainan government held a recruitment fair in Beijing in an effort to bring 7,471 people to Hainan to work in government agencies, companies, and other institutions.

Established prior to this announcement, and currently in existence, are the following economic and technological development zones:

• Haikou Free Trade Zone
• Haikou High Technology Industrial Development Zone
• Yangpu Economic Development Zone

Culture

The Eastern Sanya Mosque, an example of Chinese-Islamic architecture.

Most of the people of Hainan practice Chinese Folk Religion and Chinese Buddhism. The Li population has a Theravada Buddhist minority. Most of the island's utsuls, a branch of the Cham people who live near Sanya, are Muslims. Since Hainan was a point on the missionaries' travel route, there are some Christians. According to the 2009 China General Social Survey, Christians make up 0.48% of the province's population.

Nanshan Park is the center of Buddhism in Hainan. It covers more than 50 km² of forest. The site includes countless grandiose temples, statues and spiritual gardens such as the Garden of the Savior and the Valley of Longevity, with intricate hedges and abundant lotus flowers, a revered symbol in Buddhism signifying virtue or purity.

Hainanese cuisine strongly blends local flavor with that of Han China. Seafood dominates the menu, with prawns, crab, fish, and other marine life widely available.

Wenchang chicken is a popular dish throughout Hainan province. Although there are many varieties of this dish, the name is often used to define a type of small, free-range chicken from Wenchang, located on the eastern coast of the province. Unlike battery chickens, their meat has more texture and is somewhat drier.

Hainanese chicken rice is a famous dish in Southeast Asia, especially Singapore and Malaysia, named after the region. However, while many restaurants use chicken fat to quickly flavor the dish, the proper local method is to 'marinate' it. the rice with chicken broth to give it a fuller flavor.

Education

Haikou University of Economics Campus in Guilinyang.

The following is a list of the main educational centers in the province:

• Hainan University・)
• Hainan Medical University≈)
• Hainan Normal University∙ Counseling Link)
• Hainan Tropical Ocean University한洋 bound)
• Qiongtai Normal University台 counseling converged)
• Haikou University of Economics⋅)
• University of Sanya (University of Sanya))