Qiongzhong
Home to the Limu Mountain and Yinggeling sections of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, with Baihualing Waterfall, the Li and Miao mountain village of Shihan, and famed green oranges.
Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County lies in central Hainan Island on the northern slopes of Wuzhi Mountain. It is the source of Hainan's three main rivers, the Nandu, Wanquan and Changhua; forest covers over 80% of the county, and large areas of upland fall within Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (Limu Mountain and Yinggeling sections). The county seat, Yinggen Town, is about 130 km from Haikou. The G9811 Haikou–Ledong central expressway runs through the county, making it about 1.5 hours' drive from Haikou and 2 hours from Sanya, and there are direct buses from both. The county divides into two areas: around the county town are the Baihualing Rainforest Scenic Area (with Baihualing Waterfall, a drop of about 300 m), the Baisha Uprising Memorial Park and the Yunhu rural tourism area in Changzheng Town; in the west around Hongmao Town are the Li and Miao mountain village of Shihan, "Shihan in the sky", the Xinwei Shanyou tea-garden guesthouse and the Yinggeling rainforest, while Limu Mountain National Forest Park is in the north. Qiongzhong is home to Li and Miao communities, and the Sanyuesan festival on the third day of the third lunar month is lively, with Li brocade, bamboo-pole dancing and shanlan rice wine to experience. The local Qiongzhong green orange is in season October–December. November to April is cool and fairly dry, the best time to visit; summer is rainy with typhoons, so watch for rockfall on mountain roads. Allow 2 days, easily combined with Wuzhishan and Baoting.
Top sights
- Baihualing Rainforest Cultural Tourism Area – A tropical rainforest scenic area just outside Qiongzhong county seat, home to the Baihualing Falls, a cascade with a drop of about 300 met…
- Limushan National Forest Park – The Limushan section of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, a mountain sacred to the Li people as the home of Limu, their legendary a…
- Shihan Village – A Li and Miao mountain village at over 800 meters, known as 'Heaven's Shihan.' It is a national key rural tourism village famed for its clo…
- Hongmao Town – A Li and Miao mountain town in western Qiongzhong, home to the Xinwei Tea Garden homestay, Fanxiang Village and Shihan Village. It is a bas…
- Yingge Ridge – One of the core zones of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, with well-preserved primeval mountain rainforest. It suits group scienti…
- Baisha Uprising Memorial Park – A memorial park commemorating the 1943 Baisha Uprising of the Li and Miao peoples. A 17.2-meter monument stands on the hillside, and the pa…
- Yunhu Rural Tourism Area – A five-coconut-rated rural tourism spot in Changzheng Town, with lake views, Li and Miao villages and farmhouse restaurants. It suits a rel…
Where to eat
- Juwei Chinese Restaurant, Four Points by Sheraton Qiongzhong – Chinese restaurant inside the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Qiongzhong town, serving Cantonese, classic Hainan and L…
Itineraries
- Hainan Central Rainforest & Li-Miao Culture Drive – Cross from Haikou through Qiongzhong and Wuzhishan to Baoting and Sanya, exploring rainforests, tea plantations, and Li…