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4F, Yanhai Building, No.21 Haifuyiheng Road, Haikou Hainan, 570203 China
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Email:haikou@lehmanlaw.com
Haikou is the capital of Hainan Province and is located on the north side of Hainan Island. Hainan, literally meaning "South of the Sea" is an island province, located south of Guangdong province in the South China Sea.
Hainan Island first enters China’s recorded history around 110 BC, when the Han Dynasty established a military garrison on the island. Settlement by mainland Chinese was slow, as the Chinese considered it fit only for exiles and criminals. Today, Hainan is known for its natural beauty and draws both Chinese and foreign tourists to its many lush forests and tropical beaches and resorts.
The city of Haikou originally grew up as the port for Qiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of Hainan Island, situated 5 km inland. During the 13th century, Haikou became a military post and was fortified under the Ming dynasty. Since that time, Haikou has remained the principal port of the island. Today, Haikou handles more than half of Hainan’s total trade and since 1988 has replaced Qiongshan as the island's administrative capital.
Hainan's economy is predominantly agricultural and today there are relatively few factories on the island. More than a half of the island's exports are agricultural products. There is a small amount of industry, including canning, textiles, rice hulling, and light engineering. In addition, tourism plays an important part in Hainan's economy, largely due to its tropical beaches and lush forests.
Hainan's elevation to province-level status in 1988 was accompanied by its designation as China's largest "special economic zone." Since its designation as a special economic zone, the central government has encouraged foreign investment in Hainan and has allowed the islands economy to rely to a large extent on market forces. However, due to its natural beauty, the island’s largest industry is tourism.
LEHMAN, LEE & XU’s Haikou partner office provides our clients with a wide variety of legal services including advisory services concerning foreign direct investment, commercial law, intellectual property matters, and litigation. For more information, please contact haikou@lehmanlaw.com.
