Qilou Old Street in Haikou

Background

A qilou is a shophouse whose ground floor is set back as a shop while the upper floors project over a colonnade, creating a shaded, rain-sheltered walkway along the street; it blends Chinese shophouse traditions with Southeast Asian and European colonial elements. The core of Haikou's Qilou Old Street is Zhongshan Road, and the arcade buildings line Deshengsha, Zhongshan, Bo'ai, Xinhua, Jiefang, Changdi and other roads, about 600 in all, mostly three or four stories high, built mainly between the late 19th and early 20th centuries: after Haikou opened as a port, many Hainanese who had emigrated to Southeast Asia brought back the arcade style, combined it with Fujian and Guangdong building traditions, and built shophouses in their hometown. The quarter was once Hainan's commercial center, home to banks, chambers of commerce, churches and post offices. In 2009 it was named among the first “Famous Historical and Cultural Streets of China”; according to sources, it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2013 and as a national tourism and leisure district in 2022. It is still a lived-in neighborhood, not a stage set: East Gate Market, the West Gate antiques street, laoba teahouses, Qiong opera and folk activities sit alongside daily life. The quarter also has Tianhou Palace (a Mazu temple) and the Qilou Architecture Museum (around Zhongshan Road); the age and history of individual buildings vary.

Local customs

• By day, you can walk along Zhongshan Road pedestrian street to admire carved facades, arches, colonnades and the signs of time-honored shops, browse dried seafood at East Gate Market on Bo'ai Road and antiques around West Gate
• in the afternoon or early evening, settle into a laoba teahouse with a pot of tea and dim sum snacks and watch the street go by
• after dark, walk the lit-up arcades again to see neon against the old buildings
• and stop at the Haikou Clock Tower at the entrance to the quarter to get your bearings and take photos (according to travel sources, it was first built in 1928 and rebuilt on the same site in 1987).

Travel tips

• The quarter is open and walkable all day
• there are many stone slabs and uneven surfaces, so wear comfortable shoes. Protect yourself from sun and heat in summer
• in the rain the arcades give shelter, but the ground is slippery. Most snack stalls accept mobile payment, but carrying a little cash is safer for a few
• Zhongshan Road is pedestrianized, while Bo'ai Road and others still carry cars and e-bikes, so watch out
• holidays and evenings are crowded, so keep valuables close. In Haikou, take a bus to the “Zhonglou” (Clock Tower) stop and walk, or search for “Haikou Qilou Old Street” or “Zhongshan Road” in a taxi or ride-hailing app
• drivers should use regular car parks nearby and walk in. Strolling the quarter is free, while some museums and activities may charge, as posted on site and officially announced.
• You can visit year-round. Haikou is tropical and warm all year
• winter and spring, roughly November to March, are cooler and most comfortable
• summer is hot and rainy, so watch for warnings in typhoon season and stroll in the evening or at night
• around Spring Festival and other holidays there are plenty of lights and crowds, so arrive early or avoid peak times.