Hainan Museum

Hainan Museum
海南博物馆

Address: 68 Guoxing Avenue, Haikou, Hainan province
Website: www.hainanmuseum.org/(Cn)
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last ticket: 16:30)
Closed Mondays
Email: hnbwg@vip.163.com
General admission: Free(passport required for entry, with a max of 5,000 admitted daily)

Hainan province has long been a place of cross-cultural exchange and interaction. Home to Han, Li, Miao, Hui and many other ethnic groups for hundreds or even thousands of years, it has nurtured a rich and splendid island culture through integration and development of multi-ethnic lifestyles.

Located in this southernmost province of China, the Hainan Museum is probably the most educational tourist destination on the island. Planned since 1984 yet only opened in 2008, it is considered one of the island's most beautiful buildings. Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, the museum introduces to visitors nearly all aspects related to Hainan island, including the maritime civilization in the South China Sea, the history of Hainan traced back from the prehistoric era, local customs and culture, and natural resources. Hainan is indigenous to 12 intangible cultural heritages inscribed in the provincial list, six in the national list, and one in the UNESCO list of those in need of urgent safeguarding (inscribed in 2009 the traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering).These are presented by the museum's basic displays dedicated to Hainan's performing arts, culinary art, ethnic group culture, and traditional craftsmanship.