Haikou's Mangrove Reserve is located about 20km to the east of Haikou city centre.
The Chinese name of the mangrove area is 红树林 (Hóng shù lín) or the Red Forest. I guess this name is related to the type of mangrove trees that grow in the area because there is a type of mangrove called red mangrove, or rhizophora mangle.
Here is a description of red mangrove from wikipedia:
Rhizophora mangle, known as the red mangrove, is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its viviparous "seeds," in actuality called propagules, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree. These are dispersed by water until eventually embedding in the shallows.
The mangrove supports certain species of bird, so it may be of interest if you are a bird watcher. The area is abundant in oysters and local people come to small restaurants on the edge of the mangrove to eat the fresh oysters. Another famous food is the salt water duck.
Tourist boats depart from a port near Yanfeng town (演丰镇 Yǎn fēng zhèn). They give a tour through some of the mangrove.
Here is a map showing the location of the mangrove swamp area in relation to Haikou city:
Pictures of the mangrove area next to Yanfeng town.
Yanfeng Town and Surrounding Villages
Apart from the mangrove the surrounding area also has some interesting features. There is a well maintained temple near Luwei Village (禄尾村 Lù wě icūn). There are still some traditional wooden boat builders with workshops on the estuary. Each boat is hand made and it is interesting to watch the carpenters at work and see the techniques used. For example, the use of fire and heavy stones to bend the planks of wood. It is also interesting to wander around the small villages and enjoy the farmland.
13,000 years ago, northern Hainan was the scene of extensive volcanic eruptions. The rich volcanic resources left by these eruptions gave the area its fertile soils, the strange shapes of its volcanic remnants, its lava caves, its valuable igneous rocks, and its abundant tropical ecology. This geologic event was critical in moulding the scenery and culture of the area today.
into a tourist park. You can walk through the landscaped park area into the mouth of the dormant volcano. The park area also contains examples of: dried lava flow and rock; indigenous plants; traditional hand carved uses of the lava rock, etc.
