Hovering above emerald canopies and sun-kissed coastlines, drone footage reveals why Haikou – capital of China’s tropical Hainan province – has earned its nickname as the ‘Coconut City.’ This aerial journey showcases sprawling urban parks lined with over 500,000 coconut trees, their fronds swaying in harmony with futuristic skyscrapers that symbolize the island’s rapid development.
Once a quiet fishing port, Haikou now balances ecological preservation with its role as a free trade hub. The drone’s lens captures electric buses gliding past 700-year-old Qilou arcades, where residents sip coconut water under UNESCO-recognized Sino-Portuguese architecture. Offshore, sailboats dot the Qiongzhou Strait, a vital shipping corridor linking the island to the Chinese mainland.
For investors eyeing Hainan’s duty-free shopping boom, the footage highlights expanding ports and the Haikou Jiangdong New Area – a 298 sq km innovation zone attracting tech giants. Cultural explorers will spot the volcanic geopark’s moss-covered villages, where farmers still harvest coconuts using methods unchanged for generations.
As Hainan positions itself as Asia’s answer to Hawaii, this visual tour underscores why 87 million annual visitors flock to its shores. With 340 days of sunshine yearly and air routes connecting 59 international cities, Haikou’s blend of natural abundance and urban ambition continues to reshape perceptions of tropical living.
