Centered around the permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia, this guide will help you with everything you might want to do when traveling the Qionghai section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway (such as visiting the BFA venue, Tanmen Town Fishing Port, and Hongshi Beach) and enjoying the area's beautiful coastline and delicious food!

Spanning from N18°10’ to N20°10' and E108°37’ to E111°03', Hainan Island is shaped like a delicious tropical mango. Covering an area of 33,900km², the island's long axis runs a bit less than 300km from northeast to southwest and the short axis runs a bit less than 200km from northwest to southeast. Guangdong Province is located to the north on the other side of the Qiongzhou Straits, Vietnam is located to the west on the other side of the Beibu Gulf, and—across the South China Sea—the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia are to the south and east. Located on the east coast of Hainan Island, where the Wanquan River flows into the ocean, Bo’ao, in Qionghai, is one of the province's “Top Ten Cultural Towns,” and the permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia.

Tanmen Town Fishing Port

Tanmen Town Fishing Port.(Photo by Su Guichu, Hinews)

With a recorded history spanning thousands of years, Tanmen is known as the "Gate to the South China Sea.” Famed as the best place to eat seafood on Hainan Island, beachcombing is a popular activity at low tide.

Paigang Village

Paigang Village. (Photo by People's Daily)

If you take the causeway extending out into the sea from the beach to the lighthouse at the end, the sense of beauty is so extreme that you'll feel as if you are drowning in the scenery. Everything is blue and white and beautiful.

China (Hainan) Museum of The South China Sea

China (Hainan) Museum of The South China Sea. (Photo by China (Hainan) Museum of The South China Sea)

A national first-class museum displaying the human history, natural ecology and cultural heritage of the South China Sea, this is a comprehensive museum that promotes cultural exchanges between countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.

Hongshi (Red Rock) Beach

Hongshi (Red Rock) Beach. (Photo by Liu Yang, Hainan Daily)

Covered with the red brown rocks that give it its name, this beach and its boardwalk are very impressive. Once the tide has gone out, you can experience the fun of beachcombing. At the same time, this is a great place to watch sunrise or sunset.

Permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia

Permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia. (Photo by Hainan Daily)

Located on beautiful Dongyu Island, Bo’ao is surrounded by the estuarial waters of the Wanquan, Longgun, and Jiuqu rivers. The town is named after the port at the river mouth.

Jade Belt Beach

Jade Belt Beach. (Photo by Zhang Mao, Hainan Daily)

A beach peninsula with a unique landscape at the intersection of river and sea, Jade Belt Beach is located at the confluence of the Wanquan, Longgun, and Jiuqu rivers. The easiest way to get to Jade Belt Beach is to take a boat from the pier next to the permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia.

Baishiling Ridge

Baishiling Ridge. (Photo by Photo Explore Hainan)

This unique collection of geological landforms is sometimes called Hainan's “natural museum of geology.” Visitors can enjoy mountain climbing, valley scenery, lakeside recreation, and forest walks.

Cai Family Mansion

The Cai Family Mansion. (Photo by Yuan Chen, Hainan Daily)

A national heritage site, the Cai Family Mansion is a complex of interconnected buildings with a mix of Oriental, Occidental, and Southeast Asian architecture. When visiting, make sure to check out Cai Jiasen's house.

Yinhai Zaliang Street

Zaliang is an outstanding kind of local snack that comes in hundreds of varieties. Yinhai is one of the best places to go if you want to try them all!

Yinhai Zaliang Street. (Photo by Hainan Daily)