Wednesday, March 14, 2018, Haikou, China
Capital of China’s Hainan province, the vibrant and remarkably modern city of Haikou is situated on Hainan Island, off China’s southern coast. With its strategic location near the mouth of the Nandu River, the culturally rich city grew into a walled fortification during the Ming dynasty. Today, nestled amid its gleaming skyscrapers, the Old Town is a gleaming-white blend of colonial-era Portuguese and French facades with Indian and Arabic accents, a style known as tong lau . Much of the historic district was built by wealthy Chinese from the mainland and today is lined with market stalls and arcades selling colorful wares from fabrics and clothing to spices and dried foods. Today this small island is considered as the Hawaii or Miami Beach of China for its mild winters and warm summers. It is a tourist destination for the retired wealthy and Politburo. It is also a fishing village and major seaport for freight. Views as we approached our dock. It was a foggy an