Chengmai
- Not to be confused with Chiang Mai, a city in Thailand.
Towns
There are 11 towns in Chengmai. The following are just the ones that are most likely to be of interest to visitors:
- Fushan (福山镇) - the hometown of Fushan Coffee, one of Hainan's leading coffee brands
- Jinjiang (金江镇) - the county seat and largest town
- Laocheng (老城镇) - the former county seat, now one of Hainan's fastest growing towns due to its close proximity to Haikou
Understand
Chengmai is situated just west of Haikou.
Get in
By bus
The town of Laocheng can be reached from Haikou by public bus. The main buses operating between Haikou and Laocheng are buses 57 and 59. Another notable bus is Tourist Bus 6, which travels to the Yongqing Temple in Laocheng's north.
Buses from Haikou to Jinjiang and other towns in Chengmai generally depart from the Haikou West Bus Station.
- 1 Chengmai Bus Station (澄迈车站), 109 Wenming Road, Jinjiang Town (金江镇文明路109号) (in the center of Jinjiang Town, about 500 meters from the Chengmai County Government building).
By train
There are two railway stations in Chengmai:
Get around
By bus
Public buses operate in Jinjiang, Fushan and Laocheng, as well as some rural areas surrounding these towns. The bus networks in the major towns are interlinked. Take bus nos. 5 or 6 to get from Fushan to Jinjiang. Take bus no. 11 to get from Laocheng to Jinjiang.
You can also get around using long-distance buses. The Haikou-Jinjiang bus passes through Laocheng and several other places on its way to Jinjiang.
By train
Between Laocheng and Fushan, there is the option of taking a train. The train from Laocheng to Fushan takes only 10 minutes, but doesn't run very often (typically only once a day, but five times a day in the other direction).
See
Museums and historical sites
- 1 Fushan Coffee Cultural Center (福山咖啡文化馆), County Highway 300, Fushan Town (福山镇300县道) (about 2 km south of Fushan Town Railway Station; take bus no. 6 from the station), ☏ +86 898 67583779. 08:00-11:00, 14:30-17:30. A museum about the coffee industry in Fushan Town. ¥30.
- 2 Meilang Twin Pagodas (美榔双塔, 美榔姐妹塔 Meilang Sister Pagodas), Meilang Village, Meiting Township (美亭乡美榔村) (take bus no. 9 from the Jinshan Temple), ☏ +86 898 67611278. One of the oldest historical sites in Hainan, the pagodas date back to Yuan Dynasty and were originally part of the Jirui Nunnery, a nunnery that no longer exists. They were built by a Buddhist man named Chen Daoxu in honour of his two daughters. There is a small museum at the site. Free.
Parks and nature
- 3 R&F Mangrove Bay Wetland Preservation Park (富力红树湾红树林湿地保护公园), Hainan Western Expressway, Fushan Town (福山镇海南西线高速) (about 12 km east of Fushan Town Railway Station; take bus no. 16 from the station; alternatively get a bus from Haikou to Fushan and tell the driver to drop you off at this place), ☏ +86 898 36506688. 08:30-17:30. A wetland park established by a private real estate developer. ¥40.
Religious sites
- 4 Jinshan Temple (金山寺), Gongyuan Road, Jinjiang Town (金江镇公园路) (1.3 km east of the Chengmai Bus Station), ☏ +86 898 67615723, +86 13697505699, cibei001@163.com. The second largest Buddhist temple in northern Hainan. It was founded during the Ming Dynasty but destroyed in the 1940s and rebuilt in 1992. A notable structure at the temple is an 88-meter high pagoda, which is said to be the tallest pagoda in the world dedicated to Bhaisajyaguru, the Buddha of medicine and healing. General entry to the temple is free; ¥50 is charged to visit the pagoda.
- 5 Yongqing Temple (永庆寺), 10 Yongqing Avenue, Laocheng Town (老城镇永庆大道10号) (if coming from Haikou, take bus 204 or Tourist Bus 6; if coming from Laocheng, take bus no. 10), ☏ +86 898 67536718. 08:00-17:30. The largest Buddhist temple in the northern part of Hainan Island. It was established in the Song Dynasty, though the current structures date only from the 21st century. ¥50.
Traditional villages
- 6 Luoyi Village (罗驿村) (about 6 km south of Laocheng Town Railway Station and about 2 km south of the town of Bailian; you can get a bus to Bailian from Haikou West Bus Station). An old village dating from the Song Dynasty. Buildings are constructed with volcanic rock. The most notable building is the Li Family Ancestral Hall, which was built in the 18th century. Free.
- 7 Shique Village (石矍村, formerly known as Shishique Village 石石矍村), Renmin Road, Macun Town (马村镇人民路) (take bus no. 10 from Laocheng). Another old village with buildings built with volcanic rock. The village is famous due to its close association with Madam Xian, a female general from Gaozhou (near Maoming) who is credited with bringing peace and stability to Hainan during the Sui Dynasty. Madam Xian and her family and entourage settled here in the early 7th century and even today the village is still largely populated by her descendents, all of whom are surnamed Feng. Sights in the village include the tombs of the Feng Family, the Feng Family Grand Ancestral Hall and the Fenggong Temple. Free.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
- 1 Fushan Coffee (福山咖啡馆), National Highway 225, Fushan (福山镇225国道) (about 750 meters south of the Fushan Town Government building; take bus nos. 5, 6 or 16), ☏ +86 898 67583199. 10:00-22:00. This is the central branch of the Fushan Coffee coffee shop chain. Another branch can be found near the Fushan Coffee Cultural Center. There is also a branch about 2 km east of the Yongqing Temple. More branches can be found in Haikou and other places in Hainan.
Sleep
Hotels can be found in all major towns in the county. However, Laocheng has far more options for foreigners than the other towns.