Media guests, influencers visit Haikou on 'A Date with China'

China-based foreign media correspondents, foreign internet influencers and domestic journalists visit Haikou, Hainan province, on April 10, 2023. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

China-based foreign media correspondents, foreign internet influencers and domestic journalists visited Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan province, and experienced the city's qilou culture on a "A Date with China" international media tour on Monday.

Historical qilou, or sotto portico, which is well-preserved in Haikou city, is a kind of Nanyang-style arcade building with a strong blend of Chinese and Western architectural features. The east-meet-west architectural style has made it one of the most unique street landscapes in the city, with over 600 existing sotto portico buildings in 12 streets.

People walk on a sotto porticostreet in Haikou, Hainan province, on April 10, 2023. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The sotto portico building has a columned and covered porch available to all pedestrians. It functions as a sidewalk during rains, which are frequent because of the tropical climate. The space can also be used by stores to put merchandise to attract customers.

The oldest sotto portico building of the city, Sipailou, was built in the Southern Song Dynasty and has a history of more than 700 years.

The sotto portico old streets in Haikou, in the process of historical development, condense many cultural connotations, such as Haikou's folk culture, Nanyang culture, Confucian culture and so on. At the same time, various traditional delicacies and folk arts have taken root and grown here.