Qiongzhong Attractions

Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County (琼中黎族苗族自治县) lies in the ecological heart of Hainan Island, at the northern foot of the Wuzhi Mountains. Unlike Hainan’s coastal resort destinations, Qiongzhong is defined by tropical rainforest, waterfalls, mountain rivers, Li and Miao villages, revolutionary history and forest wellness. With forest coverage of 86.17%, the county is closely connected with the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park and the island’s central mountain ecosystem.

Three themes best summarize Qiongzhong tourism: rainforest ecology, Li-Miao culture and mountain adventure. Baihualing Tropical Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone is the county’s flagship developed attraction and remains the first and principal national 4A tourist attraction in central Hainan. Beyond Baihualing, Limu Mountain, Shihan Village, Chengpo River Stone Mortars, Baisha Uprising Memorial Park and Shang’an Shijie reveal a less-commercialized side of inland Hainan. In 2026, the county continued developing tourism around rainforest hiking, ethnic culture, wellness, rural villages and sports.

Qiongzhong Attraction Ranking

The following is a travel-oriented ranking rather than an official government ranking, based on uniqueness, natural or cultural significance, visitor experience and suitability for first-time travelers.

*Recent visitor-platform information in 2026 has shown Qiongzhong Gorge Rafting as temporarily suspended, so its operating status should be confirmed before including it in an itinerary.

🌿 Baihualing Tropical Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone

Baihualing Tropical Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone (海南百花岭热带雨林文化旅游区), only several kilometers from Yinggen, is Qiongzhong’s signature attraction and currently its most important national 4A tourism destination. It combines dense tropical rainforest, waterfalls, ancient trees, streams and modern rainforest adventure facilities. The attraction became the first national 4A tourist area in central Hainan in 2020 and remained a major tourism centerpiece in 2026.

Its best-known landscape is Baihua Waterfall (百花瀑布), which descends through several stages with a total drop of more than 300 meters and has long been described as Hainan’s largest-drop waterfall. The rainforest also displays characteristic tropical phenomena such as climbing lianas, epiphytes, drip-tip leaves and “aerial gardens.”

The modern visitor experience includes rainforest walkways, the treetop boardwalk, forest slides and adventure activities. In 2026, an approximately 8.5-kilometer rainforest hiking course connected the waterfall, Tianchi area, ancient trees and Love Valley during the Qiongzhong rainforest hiking event.

For first-time visitors to Qiongzhong, Baihualing should be the highest priority.

🌳 Limu Mountain National Forest Park

Limu Mountain National Forest Park (黎母山国家森林公园) represents Qiongzhong’s wilder and more culturally symbolic rainforest landscape. Hainan’s official rainforest tourism material includes it among the principal stops along the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Scenic Road.

Limu Mountain reaches more than 1,100 meters and is characterized by tropical forest, mountain streams, waterfalls, mist, rocks and deep valleys. It also occupies an important position in Li cultural traditions and is commonly known as the ancestral mountain of the Li people.

The mountain region is also hydrologically important to central Hainan and forms part of the watershed landscape associated with several of the island’s major river systems.

Limu Mountain is best for travelers who value forest ecology, hiking, quiet landscapes and Li cultural symbolism rather than highly developed entertainment facilities.

🛖 Shihan Village

Shihan Village (什寒村) in Hongmao Town (红毛镇) is one of Qiongzhong’s best-known ethnic villages. Situated in a high mountain basin between Limu Mountain and Yinggeling at around 800 meters above sea level, it is often promoted as “Shihan in the Sky” (天上什寒).

The village is home to both Li and Miao communities and has developed rural tourism around traditional food, singing and dancing, agriculture, homestays and mountain scenery. It was among the Qiongzhong villages recognized through China’s ethnic-characteristic village program. Qiongzhong currently has several nationally recognized ethnic-characteristic villages, including Shihan, Bianwen, Fandao and Guangyi–Guang’er.

Shihan is especially rewarding for visitors who want to understand how rainforest ecology, mountain agriculture and Li-Miao culture coexist in central Hainan.

🪨 Chengpo River Stone Mortar Group

Chengpo River Stone Mortar Group (乘坡河石臼群) in Heping Town is one of Qiongzhong’s most unusual geological landscapes.

Over very long periods, flowing water, gravel and river erosion carved numerous circular and irregular depressions into the riverbed rock. The resulting stone-mortar landscape combines river, canyon, exposed rock and forest scenery, producing a natural geological classroom.

The river is a tributary within the upper Wanquan River system, and local tourism development has historically connected the stone mortars with rafting and rural tourism. Water levels strongly influence what can be seen, so the exposed geological forms are not equally visible throughout the year.

This is one of the best alternatives for travelers interested in geology and less-developed natural scenery.

🚩 Baisha Uprising Memorial Park

Baisha Uprising Memorial Park (白沙起义纪念园) stands near Fanxiang Village (番响村), Hongmao Town and commemorates one of the most important events in modern Li and Miao history.

In 1943, under the leadership of Wang Guoxing (王国兴) and others, Li and Miao communities launched the Baisha Uprising. The subsequent connection between the uprising forces and the Communist-led Qiongya resistance contributed to the development of the revolutionary base in the Wuzhi Mountain region.

The memorial landscape includes commemorative facilities and exhibitions, while nearby Fanxiang Village, its village history displays and sites connected with Wang Guoxing provide additional context. The memorial park has been free to the public since corrective action was taken in 2019.

It is Qiongzhong’s strongest attraction for red tourism, modern history and student educational tours.

🌊 Qiongzhong Gorge Rafting

Qiongzhong Gorge Rafting (琼中峡漂流) is located around Hekou Village in Heping Town and historically combined a glass water slide with a natural river-gorge rafting section.

Published visitor information describes a course of approximately 3.8 kilometers, passing tropical vegetation and unusual stone-mortar formations along the Wanquan River system.

However, this attraction needs a current-status warning. Recent 2026 tourism-platform information lists it as temporarily closed, with reopening time to be announced.

It should therefore remain in a comprehensive Qiongzhong attraction directory because it is an established tourism resource, but travelers should not build an itinerary around rafting without confirming that operations have resumed.

♨️ Shang’an Shijie Cliff Inscriptions and Hot Spring Area

Shang’an Shijie Cliff Inscriptions (上安仕阶摩崖石刻群) provide one of Qiongzhong’s most unusual combinations of rainforest scenery and Qing-dynasty historical heritage.

The inscriptions around Shijie Village (仕阶村) include texts associated with Qing military official Feng Zicai (冯子材) and others during nineteenth-century campaigns and administrative expansion into the central Hainan mountains. They record an important period of interaction between Qing administration and Li-inhabited mountain regions.

The broader Shang’an Shijie area also has hot-spring resources and views toward the Wuzhi Mountain landscape. Hainan’s official rainforest scenic-road guide lists Shang’an Shijie Hot Spring Tourism Resort among the recommended Qiongzhong stops.

This area is particularly suitable for travelers interested in history, calligraphy, cultural landscapes and less-commercialized mountain travel.

🍵 Xinwei Shanyouju and Rural Tea Culture

Xinwei Shanyouju (新伟山有居) represents Qiongzhong’s newer generation of rural cultural tourism. Developed around former tea-production and historical community spaces, the project combines tea gardens, agriculture, village landscapes, local cuisine and cultural accommodation.

Rather than a conventional sightseeing attraction, it works best as a slow-travel stop where visitors can explore the relationship between mountain tea, rice cultivation, rural revitalization and contemporary Li-Miao countryside tourism.

Qiongzhong’s current tourism strategy increasingly emphasizes exactly this kind of experience, combining rainforest scenery with homestays, food, wellness and rural cultural products. During the 2021–2025 period, the county developed multiple new tourism formats and themed routes alongside its principal scenic areas.

🪖 Guangyi–Guang’er Villages

Guangyi–Guang’er Villages (光一光二村) in Shiyun Township offer an unusual combination of Li-Miao village culture and twentieth-century military-industrial history.

The village area is associated with the former Guanghua military factory, while local tourism interpretation uses former military facilities and red-culture imagery alongside Li cultural elements.

Guangyi–Guang’er was included in the third group of China’s Ethnic Characteristic Villages, joining Shihan, Bianwen and Fandao among Qiongzhong’s recognized ethnic-cultural villages.

This is a more specialized stop for travelers interested in industrial heritage, revolutionary history and rural ethnic culture.

🐦 Bailuhu Lake Tourism Area

Bailuhu Lake Tourism Area (白鹭湖旅游区) is a quieter ecological destination known especially for water scenery and birdlife.

Egrets, cattle egrets, night herons and other birds have been observed around the lake, giving the area value for birdwatching, photography and relaxed lakeside travel.

It is not a must-see attraction for a short first visit, but it fits well into a longer ecological or photography-focused journey through Qiongzhong.

Other Cultural and Rural Attractions

Qiongzhong contains many smaller heritage and village tourism resources beyond the best-known attractions. Bianwen Village (便文村) and Fandao Village (番道村) are nationally recognized ethnic-characteristic villages; Fanxiang Village is closely connected with the history of the Baisha Uprising; and various old trails, revolutionary sites and cliff inscriptions survive throughout the mountain region.

The county also contains Dongpo Cliff Inscriptions (东坡诗石刻), historic mountain paths and revolutionary sites associated with the Wuzhi Mountain base area. These are better suited to history specialists and travelers using local guides than to a conventional first-time sightseeing itinerary.

Complete List of Major Qiongzhong Attractions

Best Qiongzhong Attractions by Travel Interest

For first-time visitors, prioritize Baihualing, Limu Mountain and Shihan Village. These three provide the clearest introduction to Qiongzhong’s rainforest, mountain environment and Li-Miao culture.

For rainforest and outdoor travel, choose Baihualing, Limu Mountain and Chengpo River Stone Mortars. If Qiongzhong Gorge Rafting has resumed operations, it can add a more adventurous water experience.

For Li and Miao culture, Shihan Village, Guangyi–Guang’er, Bianwen and Fandao are more meaningful than simply watching a staged ethnic performance because they are living communities recognized for their cultural character.

For history and educational travel, combine Baisha Uprising Memorial Park, Fanxiang Village and Shang’an Shijie Cliff Inscriptions.

Practical Travel Notes

Qiongzhong’s attractions are widely distributed across mountainous terrain, so self-driving or a private vehicle is the most efficient way to explore them. The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Scenic Road forms an especially useful tourism corridor, and its official route includes Qiongzhong stops such as Limu Mountain, Baihualing, Shihan Village and Shang’an Shijie. The complete rainforest scenic road extends approximately 466 kilometers through nine Hainan cities and counties.

The rainforest climate also means that trails can become slippery quickly after rain. Lightweight rain protection, non-slip walking shoes, mosquito repellent and drinking water are useful throughout the year.

Summer brings heavier rainfall and stronger waterfalls and is also promoted locally for rainforest cooling and hiking. The drier months are usually easier for mountain driving and village exploration. Because Qiongzhong is one of Hainan’s wetter mountainous regions, weather conditions should always be checked before long hikes or river activities.