HAIKOU /China/, February 6. /TASS/. The South China province of Hainan prepared a rich folklore program for the Golden Week of the national Lunar New Year holidays, lasting from February 1 to 6. The Hainan Daily newspaper reported that traditional folk performances were held in different parts of the island.
According to the newspaper, tourists had an opportunity to visit landmarks and simultaneously attend various cultural events. These included the art of rhythmic compositions by the Miao tribe, descendants of soldiers who were stationed on the island by the Chinese emperor some 600 years ago, and the Qilin dance, named after a mythical animal which is often compared to a unicorn.
One of the places where the performances took place were the old Qilou districts in the historical part of Haikou city (the administrative center of the province), the history of which goes back more than 700 years. They occupy an area of 2 square kilometers, the total length of the small streets is about 4.4 km. According to official estimates, there are about 600 three-and four-story buildings in the South Asian and colonial style, which are considered a national cultural heritage. Against their backdrop, as noted, cultural programs take on a unique exotic flavor.
Local guides also advise to visit the area of dwarf volcanoes - Shishan national geopark, home to a crater which last erupted 13 thousand years ago. Haikou's highest natural point is located in this geopark, reaching 222.8 meters. One of the items on the tourist program this time was bamboo pole dancing, an ancient and fascinating art form that requires participants to be physically fit and skillful.
Fascinating performances were also organized in the northeastern city of Wenchang in Hainan, where one of China's four spaceports and the country's southernmost Confucius Temple are located. There, on the oceanfront there is China's famous Tongguling National Nature Reserve, which has an observation deck at an altitude of 338 meters above sea level, allowing to enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the sea. Moreover, groups of traditional villages prepared interesting cultural programs for the New Year's weekend on the island. All these activities, as well as beach holidays, attracted crowds of tourists: according to official data, the average occupancy rate of hotels in the province during the holidays exceeded 70% - an increase of 16.45 percentage points over the same period last year.
Safety measures
Although Hainan has not had any cases of coronavirus for a long time, there are always safety measures to be taken in crowded places. In order to get to tourist sites, you need to scan a "health code" through a special application on your smartphone, a program that tracks your movements. It registers if someone has been in an area of high risk of infection, and in this case changes the light from green to red, temporarily depriving the person of access to department stores, restaurants, libraries, public institutions and other public institutions.