Qionghai


Qionghai is one of the seven county-level cities of Hainan province, China. Although called a "city", Qionghai refers to a large land area in Hainan - an area which was once a county. Within this area is the main city, Qionghai City. It is located in the east of the island at the mouth of the Wanquan River, from the provincial capital of Haikou. It has an area of and in 2010, it had a population of 483,217.
The seat of government is at Jiaji, often now referred to simply as Qionghai. Bo'ao, seat of the Boao Forum for Asia, belongs to Qionghai City.
The former counties of Qiongdong and Lehui are now part of Qiongdong City.

Climate

Qionghai has a tropical monsoon climate. Monsoonal influences are strong, with a relatively lengthy wet season and a pronounced dry season. Rainfall is heaviest and most frequent from August to October, when typhoons may strike, and is otherwise still common throughout the year, averaging an annual total of ; there are 9.3 days with or more of rain. Humidity is consistently very high, with an average relative humidity of 85.8%. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 31% in February to 62% in July, the city receives 2,037 hours of bright sunshine annually; the city receives about only a third of possible sunshine from December thru February, while May thru July is the sunniest time of year.

Administrative divisions

Qionghai is divided into 12 towns:

Other

Qionghai is historically associated with the Red Detachment of Women, an all-female company of the Chinese Red Army who survived Nationalist persecution. A novel based on their story has been made into a ballet and two films.
The most famous dish of Qionghai is Jiaji Duck, originally introduced to Qionghai by locals who returned from living in Southeast Asia.