In recent years, more and more of Hainan's local culture has been put on display in small village history, culture, and intangible heritage museums, which have become a fascinating part of the cultural landscape of the island. These local museums open a window on Hainan's culture, history, and intangible heritage through cultural objects and historical materials displayed using innovative, technologically advanced methods.

In Hainan, many of these village museums focus on the specific intangible cultural heritage of the local area, putting the spotlight on the features that make their unique version of these arts so special. Currently, Hainan boasts 32 different national level intangible cultural heritage arts, 82 province-level arts, and over 300 at the city or county level. The Li, Miao, and other local arts included on these lists are valued as precious treasures not only within Hainan but also by the entire nation of China.

The Li Boat-shaped House Cultural Relic Park is located in Hongshui Village, Wangxia Town, Changjiang. Here, the Li people have lived in much the same way as their ancestors did for generation upon generation. Four exhibition halls have been set up among the remains of the village's ancient boat-shaped houses. The exterior of these houses bear a strong resemblance to the sail of a ship, giving them their name. These are regarded as ‘living fossils’ of the Li culture, continuing their traditional home-building arts, and were listed as a protected national-level intangible cultural heritage art in 2008.

The Hainan Coconut Carving Exhibition Center is located on Hangtian Avenue in Dongjiao Town, Wenchang. Hainan coconut carvings are created from coconut shells, wood, and fibers. This traditional form of artistic expression was listed as a protected national level intangible cultural heritage art in 2008. The exhibition center holds over a thousand unique, lifelike carved coconut works by the artisan Fu Shiqiong, a Hainan province level intangible cultural heritage art representative.

A yellow boat-shaped building stands in Xili Village, Da'an Town, Ledong. This is the Xili Li Folk Culture Exhibition Hall, which holds a treasure trove of Li cultural items including leather stools, tree bark clothing, nose flutes, and other objects that embody the traditional lifestyles of the Li people. In addition, demonstrations of Li Brocade weaving are also held here, giving visitors a chance to find out for themselves just how these incredible, ancient works of intangible cultural heritage art are woven.

The Danzhou City Cultural Museum, located on Fayuan Road in Danzhou's Nada Town, is a national grade II cultural institution. The Danzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center, which is open to the public at no charge, is within. Here, the intangible cultural heritage of Danzhou, including traditional music and skills such as traditional salt making techniques can be understood through photos, audiovisual displays, and exhibits of cultural objects.

The Tanka Cultural Exhibition Hall located in the Haixin Fishing Village in Tianya District, Sanya attracts quite a few visitors thanks to its unique boat shape. The museum holds eight Tanka culture exhibition areas which display a collection of fishing implements, fishing boat models, Tanka clothing, and more items demonstrating the unique culture of the Tanka fishing people, who traditionally live their whole lives on the water.

These local cultural institutions both large and small hold within their walls the collective memories of the island’s history. These days, they have adopted modern technologies that allow them to continue to tell Hainan's many colorful cultural stories in fresh, exciting new ways.