International Children’s Day is nearly here, reminding us that the character of a city is largely reflected in its level of friendliness and kindness to children. The concept of "viewing the city at the height of one meter" helps create child-friendly spaces in the urban environment, something that every city needs to consider. In recent years, Hainan has been working to develop child-friendly cities where kids can grow up happy, healthy, and strong.

Yang Yaqi, who lives on Binhai Ave. in Longhua District, Haikou, Hainan Province, recently came across the news that a children’s health trail had been set up close by her home, plus all kinds of recreational facilities including a new badminton hall and a reading room for kids of all ages. “Now I don’t need to worry about where to take my kid to play on the weekends, and the neighborhood frequently organizes educational activities,” Yang said happily.

At the Haikou Happy Farm, children enjoy educational summer camp activities. (Photo: Zhang Mao/Hainan Daily)

“One meter high”  is the unique viewpoint of a child. Viewing the world through the eyes of children makes the concept of “child-friendly” very clear. Over the last few years, Hainan has pushed for the development of child-friendly cities in many ways, from improving child-friendly public service capabilities to strengthening the child-friendly rights protection system.

In the mother and baby room at Haikou Meilan International Airport, a private breastfeeding and baby care area has been set up and equipped with child-safe feeding seats, cribs, hot and cold water dispensers, and other baby-care equipment as well as small items such as paper towels, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and other things that breastfeeding mothers and those caring for infants require while traveling. Additionally, there are educational game, reading, and audio-visual areas especially for babies. Cute cartoons are all around - on the crawling mats, seats, and bookshelves, creating a welcoming environment for the little ones.

A staff member accompanies a child at Haikou Meilan International Airport. (Photo: Zhang Mao/Hainan Daily)

Haikou’s Meilan Airport isn’t the only kid-friendly airport in Hainan. Inside the terminal at the Bo’ao Airport, there’s a “game wall” just for kids. While waiting to board, children can hone their skills and talents by playing the fun educational games on the wall.

It’s not only airports that are welcoming children. These days in Hainan, child-friendly spaces are sprouting all over. Every weekend, tons of kids head over to the Hainan Library Children’s Department to take part in the weekly activities, each one opening a new, brightly illustrated page in the big book of Hainan.

Small bookworms make their way through 3-D books in their own little reading nooks at the Hainan Library. (Photo: Zhang Mao/Hainan Daily)

“Our intention was to organically combine the unique cultural and regional elements of the Hainan Free Trade Port with child-oriented reading spaces and high-tech digital and other interactive experiences for children, in order to create a smart children’s reading area.” A representative of the Hainan Library Children’s Department said that the children’s area provides a diverse, scientific, interactive reading experience for local kids.

A child reads an electronic picture book on a special machine at the Hainan Library. (Photo: Zhang Mao/Hainan Daily)

Hainan plans to develop 1-2 pilot child-friendly cities by 2025, as well as to fully reflect a child-friendly atmosphere in the province’s social policies, public services, rights protections, growth spaces, and development environment.