Haikou Photoshoots

Locations

Where to shoot in Haikou

The Qilou arcade streets are the reason to shoot here. Several hundred colonnaded buildings run along Bo'ai, Zhongshan, Xinhua North, Deshengsha and Jiefang streets, their facades carved with a mix of Chinese, European and Southeast Asian detail, and their ground floors opening into continuous covered walkways.

The Sipai Building is the oldest structure in the quarter and the usual starting point. Zhongshan Street is the most intact run and the best single stretch for a shoot.

Those arcades were built for shade and rain, which makes them one of the few genuinely good wet-weather locations in a tropical city — covered, lit from one side, and open to the street.

The Five Officials Temple, or Wugong Ci, gives you timber halls and courtyards in a quiet garden away from the traffic.

Holiday Beach on the western shore is the city's stretch of sand, and faces west for the sunset. Baishamen Park and the northern coast are the quieter alternatives.

Evergreen Park and the banyan avenues give you tropical green inside the city itself.

Timing

Winter is the season here

Haikou's best months are roughly November to March — warm, dry and comfortable, which is exactly why the rest of China comes to Hainan in winter.

Summer is hot, intensely humid and wet, and the typhoon season runs through roughly May to November. Storms can close transport and outdoor sites at short notice.

Early morning and late afternoon are the working hours for most of the year. The middle of the day is harsh and uncomfortable in every month except the winter ones.

The arcade streets are the exception and can be shot through the middle of the day, because the colonnades provide their own shade. In drizzle they are better still.

What to wear

Light, and simple against the facades

The humidity here is serious for most of the year. Light, breathable fabric is the only comfortable option, and it photographs better than anything structured.

The Qilou facades are detailed and weathered in ochre, cream and pale green. Solid colour reads well against them; patterns compete with the carving.

For Holiday Beach and the coast, the usual tropical rules apply — strong colour against the water, and sun cover that works in the frame as well as out of it.

Before you go

A living quarter, not a museum

The Qilou streets are working shops and homes rather than a preserved attraction. Shoots there go well when they are quick, courteous and not blocking a doorway or a delivery.

Some sections of the quarter are under restoration at any given time, and scaffolding moves around. We check the current state of a street before building a session on it.

The Five Officials Temple and the city's other heritage sites charge entry and can restrict tripods and commercial photography. We confirm before confirming your shoot.

Hainan has its own entry and visa arrangements that differ from the mainland, and they are worth checking well before travelling.

Arranging it

How a Haikou shoot gets booked

Haikou shoots are arranged directly with our team rather than booked online. Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and whether you want the arcade streets, the coast or both, and we will confirm what can be arranged and what it will cost.

If you are coming in the typhoon months, we will build in an alternative. The arcades are the answer to most of what the weather does here.