Wenchang

Wenchang (文昌; Bun-Sio in Hainanese, Wén​chāng​ in Mandarin) is on the northeast coast of Hainan Province in southern China.

Understand
Wenchang has been the cultural center of Hainan for centuries and the Wenchang accent is considered the standard variant of Hainanese. The city houses the Confucius Temple, one of the oldest building on the island, and Wenchang School, a prestigious school funded by many overseas Chinese.

The city is not as "modern" and booming as Sanya. It is rather like a showcase on the lifestyle of ordinary Hainanese. It has only 520,000 residents, but is the ancestral home for over a million overseas Chinese, mainly in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. These immigrants have influenced the lifestyle back in Wenchang. During the day, people enjoy hanging out in a (kinda) cafe with a cup of tea and a slice of cake for ¥1-2. At night, they may play table tennis, sing KTV and dance Tango in Wenchang Park.

The city also has a huge coconut plantation with more than 500,000 trees shadowing the beach resort area. The water quality is not as clear as certain beaches in Sanya, but the area is largely unspoiled by tourism. Tourism-related scams and crimes are almost unheard of. The friendliness of local people have made it an appealing alternative to Sanya.

Talk
As with most of the island, Hainanese is the main language spoken in Wenchang. The Wenchang dialect is considered to be the prestige dialect of Hainanese, making the city an excellent place for people who want to learn it.

As with elsewhere in China, Mandarin is the main language used in the education system, so most non-elderly locals will be able to speak it as well. English is virtually non-existent, except perhaps at some of the higher-end hotels.

By car

 * It takes about 1 hour by car from Haikou to Wenchang (80 km).

By bus
In Haikou, buses to Wenchang mainly depart from Haikou East Bus Station. There are buses not only to Wencheng (Wenchang's main urban center) but also to several other towns in Wenchang.

Buses to Wenchang are also available from Sanya and other cities in Hainan but tend to be much less frequent.



By Cycling

 * The Provincial Road S201 between Haikou and Wenchang, which is only 75-km long, has been popular among beginner and amateur cyclists because it's flat and easy to ride. However, the road has been under extensive reconstruction in 2011, making it among the worst roads you could see in China. In your last 50 km heading to Wenchang, the road is extremely dusty, muddy and crowded with construction trucks which make the air quality worse like a hell.

The better route is Haikou-Fenglai (蓬萊鎮)-Nanyang (南阳)-Wenchang. The route is 90 km and it's much more pleasant.

Eat

 * Wenchang Chicken (文昌鸡 Wénchāng jī) - thanks to the influence of overseas Chinese from Hainan, this is one of the most famous chicken dishes in Chinese cuisine. Poached by warm chicken broth, the chicken is tender and tasty.
 * Abalone and seafood - Longlou Town (龙楼镇) is famous for abalone and seafood.
 * Baoluo noodles - The rice noodles are soaked with a thick sauce traditionally served with beef jerky on top. Usually served at breakfast and lunch
 * Tea house - Hainan is famous for its pervasive teahouse scenes. They are affordable for everyone but don't expect much on sanitation and cleanness. If you don't know how to get one, ask your hotel owner "附近有茶馆吗?" (Fujin you chaguan ma?) and they will be eager to show you one. Grab a cup of coffee and a slice of bread or cake for ¥1-1.5 each.

Drink
Coconut milk

Sleep
As the ancestral hometown of many overseas Chinese, hotels are everywhere in Wenchang. Most people would choose to stay at the downtown of Wenchang or Dongjiao Yelin (Dongjiao Coconut plantation). It is also possible to stay in Longlou if you want to explore Tonggu Ridge.

Wenchang

The downtown of Wenchang, where most residents live, is the busiest area with most restaurants, shops and local night life. Most hotels are along Wenjiang Lu (文建路) and Dongfeng Lu (东风路). The most basic hotel usually start from ¥60-80 for a room with private toilet, hot water and air-con but most of them don't offer internet connection. For better rooms, expect to pay ¥100-200.

Dongjiao Yelin (东郊椰林)

Dongjiao Yelin is resided mostly by farmers and fishers and the area, like many other places in Wenchang, is fairly unaffected by tourism. It is among some of the most silent touristy spot you could see in Hainan. People are accommodating and many tourism-related annoyances are almost unheard of. While Dongjiao Yelin has some very basic groceries stores and one quite primitive internet cafe, you may need to take a bus (around 10 km) to Dongjiao Town for some (relatively) more choices on food and groceries items.

Most hotels are located around Prima Resort and there is a bus coming back and forth the resort and Dongjiao Town. It would be easier for you to start looking for a hotel from there.



Safe
Wenchang has been known for being safe and hospitable. As it is away from the main tourist trail, tourism-related scams and crimes are almost unheard of but you should never ditch your common sense. Traffic rules are, like many other Chinese cities, practiced half-heartedly.

Go next
There are buses to various cities on the island, including Haikou and Sanya.