3 Days in Hainan: East-Coast Sampler

Start where the province does — the arcade quarter laid out from the mid-1800s, its Nanyang facades shading teahouses and salted-fish shops; the clock tower by the harbor keeps the evening round.

1. hainan haikou qilou old street

A half-hour or so east by rail to Wenchang, where the launch site made its first flight in June 2016 — watch pads and sea views from Longlou town's beaches on launch days, then duck into the coconut forest avenues at Dongjiao.

1. hainan wenchang launch site
2. hainan wenchang coconut forest

South by rail — about forty minutes to Wanning's Riyue Bay, the island's surf hub, then on to Xincun port at Lingshui where Tanka families keep fish farms on floating rafts; roll into Sanya by evening, where the east line ends and the city's own guide takes over.

1. hainan riyue bay
2. hainan xincun danjia rafts