World of Hainan: Hainan Photologue

Hainan Photologue: Intro

The Hainan Photologue is a collection of photos by the authors. The photos embody the notion that there is more to Hainan than what is presented to the average tourist. They thus tend to concentrate on lesser known sights, or if covering well known sights, attempt to show them in a different perspective. Somewhat unavoidably, they present a rather personal or idiosyncratic view of Hainan. They are not necessarily superior to what most tourists get to see -- merely different. We hope that they may in some small way help to pique a wider interest in the various aspects of Hainan.

If you are interested in more attractive photos of Hainan, you can't do better than go to the Photos section of Hainan Directory. Personal tourist snapshots which present Hainan through the eyes of some of the many visitors who come here can be found at the Travellers' Tales section of the Hainan Travel Directory.

Hainan Girls

Young women from many parts of China can be seen in Hainan nowadays. This page is a modest monument to the local young women. http://www.cjvlang.com/Photos/hainangirls.html

Arcade Houses in Haikou

'Arcade house' (骑楼 qílóu) is a term used for buildings where the front half extends out over the footpath or sidewalk. A row of such houses creates a long shaded arcade along the side of the street where pedestrians can walk sheltered from the elements. From a distance qilou bear a resemblance to the diaojiaolou (吊脚楼) of western Hunan, where the rear part of the house is built over water.

The arcade house is a particular style of building combining the characteristics of European and Southeast Asian architecture. This subtle blend of architectural elements has its own peculiar style and cultural atmosphere.

The existing arcade houses in Haikou were largely built by Hainanese returning from overseas during the 1920s and 1930s and are concentrated around five old streets: Bo'ai Lu, Zhongshan Lu, Xinhua Beilu, Deshengsha, and Changti Lu. This area remains one of the liveliest commercial districts of Haikou to this day.

(Photos are copyright of Peggy Pei. Text by Peggy Pei and Greg Pringle)

The old commercial quarter has whole streets of arcade houses, intact and still in use.

Qizi Bay

A trip to see the beautiful coastal scenery of a little-visited part of western Hainan. http://www.cjvlang.com/Photos/qiziwan.html

Volcano Village

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 precious igneous rocks, its abundant tropical ecology, its comfortable climate, and its sweet spring water. This geologic event was critical in moulding the scenery and culture of the area today.

Around the Ma'anling volcanic crater of Shishan Town, a park has been created to showcase the area's culture, its ecological forests, and its unique architectural forms. Scattered over an area of several tens of square kilometres are volcanic landscapes and old villages in manifold shapes and forms. With its simple bucolic scenes, its delicious goat meat, and its tropical fruit, the park has turned into a new leisure and tourism zone close to Haikou.

Below is a collection of photos testifying to the uniqueness of this area.

(Photos are copyright of Peggy Pei. Text by Peggy Pei and Greg Pringle)

Housewarming in Lingao

These photos show a housewarming party held by the Wang family near Hesha Town (和舍镇) in Lingao. The local language in this area is Lingao dialect, and traditions and customs are shared in common with the rest of Lingao district.

Lingao and its Naze

http://www.cjvlang.com/Photos/lingao.html

A Hlai House in Tongzha

Thanks to Hainan government policies, traditional Hlai (Li) houses have become a rarity in Hainan. This section features shots of a few Hlai houses, just near Tongzha (now known as Wuzhishan), which I managed to visit in October 2003.

Taking the photos was a somewhat hurried affair. I told a Chinese friend that I wanted to see some authentic Hlai housing. He said that there were a few remnants still around Tongzha, and promptly took me there. After taking a few external shots, we rather unceremoniously asked the owner if we could look inside his house. He was most obliging, and the photos below are the result.

I am rather apologetic at putting these photos up. Due to the rather rushed nature of the visit and the fact that three years have passed since the photos were taken, I can't comment very much about the objects and scenes I was privileged to see. Nor am I very clear about the exact layout of the house that we did see. Still, they may be of interest to people, so I am posting them here with a few rudimentary comments.

The houses in question could be seen from the road. There were not a large number, as is clear from these photos.

We had a look inside the largest of the houses, with the owner's permission of course.

The interior was dark and space was quite confined. (I was told that West coast houses are larger, but am unable to confirm that).

The house had an extremely lived-in feel about it, as can be seen from the presence of clothing and utensils everywhere. This is also quite obviously a farmhouse, as can be seen from various farming implements leaning against the walls in some photos.

I was told that the family owning this house would have been considered quite well off in their day.

Looking at these photos, one can appreciate why the authorities feel these houses are primitive and backward, and should be replaced with modern housing.

Nevertheless, one wonders why a little more thought could not be put into 'modernising' the traditional Hlai house rather than destroying them wholesale and replacing them with nondescript blockhouses. Hlai houses are said to be very tough in typhoons and cooler than brick housing.