Bo'aozhen: Waterscapes and Village Culture

Bo'aozhen reveals different sides of Hainan: waterscapes and rural scenery sit alongside a distinctive architectural and family history. In Shami Village, a coastal promenade beside the ecological wetland of Shami Inland Sea is part of the local landscape; in Liuke Village, Caijiazhai tells the story of overseas Chinese culture. Travellers looking to choose between nature, cycling and cultural themes for their trip will find several specific starting points here.

Shami Village: Coastal Promenade and Varied Landscapes

In Shami Village, a 1.8-kilometre coastal promenade runs beside the ecological wetland of Shami Inland Sea. This modest distance gives you a clear sense of the route’s length without making any claims about walking time or trail conditions. The village also has six purpose-designed viewpoints. The promenade and viewpoints offer different highlights for anyone interested in the village’s landscape and places.

Shami’s scenery encompasses mountain and forest landscapes, tropical rural scenery and hillside settlements, as well as river, sea, lake and spring landscapes. This diversity makes the place appealing to travellers looking for more than one type of landscape. In 2019, Shami Village received the highest five-coconut rating as a rural tourism destination. The award applies to that year and adds a tourism designation to the area’s landscape features.

Cycling Route and Waterscape on Dongyu Island

For a cycling trip, the Qionghai cycling loop is a distinct point of reference: its first section is 92.6 kilometres long and passes through Bo'ao and across Dongyu Island. This stated distance clearly distinguishes the section from the 1.8-kilometre coastal promenade in Shami.

The Dongyu Island Tourism Resort in Bo'ao Town is surrounded by water and is officially recognised as a national tourism resort. Water therefore features not only in the cycling route description, but also in the characterisation of the resort. Travellers who like to combine cycling with landscapes and waterside places can take these themes into account when choosing a holiday rental in Bo'aozhen, without inferring the location of any particular accommodation from the route.

Caijiazhai: Architecture and Family History

Architecture is a particular focus at Caijiazhai in Liuke Village. The complex comprises ancestral residences and covers more than 3,000 square metres in total. Its design combines features of the Southeast Asian Nanyang style with local elements of Hainan residential architecture, as well as Western relief motifs. The different influences can be seen in clearly identified features: the style, the local architectural character and the reliefs.

Caijiazhai is regarded as a representative example of Hainan’s overseas Chinese culture. Built over ten years, the ensemble remains completely intact despite war, human destruction, earthquakes and typhoons. Alongside its design, the family history passed down through the generations and the history of the place are also central. The former Haitang Study in Caijiazhai is now a museum presenting the family’s history.

Liuke Village also includes cultural and village renewal initiatives. These include completed and ongoing projects, among them the old Liuma ferry crossing and a riverside landscape belt. The project also includes a tourist water route on the Wanquan River.

You can search for a holiday rental in Bo'aozhen based on your preferred travel profile, while the specific experiences relate to different places and themes across the destination.

For the broader travel overview: Qionghai.