HaikouWade-Giles romanization Hai-k’ouPinyin Haikou, conventional Hoihowcity in and capital of Hainan sheng (province), southern China. Hai-k’ou is the provincial capital of Hainan sheng. It is situated on the north coast of Hainan Island, facing the Luichow Leizhou Peninsula, across the Hainan (Qiongzhou) Strait (9.5 miles [15 km] wide). Hai-k’ou Haikou originally grew up as the port for Ch’iung-shanQiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of Hainan Island, which is situated some 3 miles (5 km) inland.





Qiongshan was opened to foreign trade under the Treaty of


Tianjin (1876),


Haikou began to rival the old administrative city.


Haikou was created a separate administrative county in 1926; it overtook


Qiongshan in population in the 1930s.



Since 1949

, Hai-k’ou



, and it has replaced



There is a small amount of industry, including canning, textiles, rice hulling, and light engineering. Pop. (1985 est.) 198,900
