Road trippers, cyclists, and hikers all headed out on the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway on their way to an enjoyable Spring Festival holiday in China’s southern island province of Hainan.

Aerial view of a section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway. (Photo: Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province)

Taking travelers past the many remarkable vistas of Hainan’s 12 coastal cities and counties, the scenic highway provides access to 22 promontories, 68 harbors, 216 popular historic sites, and 31 scenic areas. The roadway connects Hainan’s many vibrant, deeply affecting natural and cultural landscapes, giving Spring Festival vacationers a huge variety of ways to experience and appreciate what Hainan has to offer.

Travelers take photos along the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway. (Photo: Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province)

In the Mulan Bay, Wenchang area, the highway hugs the coast, providing sweeping views of over 30 giant, white wind turbines, which attract quite a few photographers.

“The bright blue sea and beautiful wind turbines are so picturesque!” Sichuanese traveler Shu Dan and her family walked along the beach taking photo after photo.

To offer more convenience for travelers, the province’s first Coastal Scenic Highway sightseeing bus routes, operated by Hainan Haiqi Transportation Group, are set to open on Feb. 21. Tickets are available now on the Haiqi e-Travel (海汽e行) Wechat account.

Travelers take photos with the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway sightseeing bus. (Photo: Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province)

There are two sightseeing bus routes to choose from. The first is the round trip tropical seaside tour from the Haikou Bus Terminal (also known as Haikou Transportation Center) to Mulan Bay, Wenchang, with stops at the Hainan Province Museum, the historic Qilou street of Puqian, Wenchang, and the wind turbine dotted coast of Mulan Bay. The route stretches a total distance of 160 km. and takes six hours to complete. The second route is the round trip palm forest island tour from the Haikou Bus Terminal to Shanqin Bay, Wanning, with stops at the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea, the Grain Snack Street in Qionghai, and Shanqin Bay in Wanning. This tour route covers a total distance of 319.8 km. and lasts over seven hours.

During this year’s Spring Festival, family road trips are very popular.

On Ctrip, a leading travel services platform in China, the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway route has spiked in popularity during the Spring Festival period. Haikou is a popular destination for family road trips, and both Haikou and Sanya are listed as popular car rental sites this year.

Although it has just recently opened, the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway is already a popular road trip route.  (Photo: Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province)

The Dan’er Radiance Resort and the Volcanic Coast Resort stations on the Danzhou section of the highway, as well as the Yingge Talang Station in Ledong are popular stopovers along the way.

The Volcanic Coast station offers the unique beauty of the area’s iconic volcanic stone structures and ecological tourism options, while the Yingge Talang station is imbued with the area’s historic saltmaking, Li ethnic minority, and local fishing cultures for an all-in-one destination.

A motorbike rider takes a break at the Dan’er Radiance Resort station. (Photo provided to New Hainan App)

According to Chen Yao, president of the Hainan Tourism Development Research Institute, the biggest difference between the new coastal scenic highway and other island routes is that the road is a travel destination in and of itself. As soon as travelers enter the highway, they have arrived at a stunning destination, and can enjoy beautiful scenery and fun entertainment options all along the way.