Tunchang Overview

Tunchang County (屯昌县) is a county directly administered by Hainan Province, located in the north-central interior of Hainan Island. Unlike Hainan’s better-known coastal destinations, Tunchang has no coastline. Its identity is shaped instead by tropical hills, lakes, forests, agricultural landscapes and small-town culture, giving it a quieter and greener character than the island’s major beach resorts.

Often promoted as the “Gateway to Central Hainan” and “Picturesque Tunchang” (画里屯昌), the county occupies an important position between the Haikou metropolitan area and the mountainous interior of Hainan. Forest coverage exceeds 70 percent, and Tunchang received the title of “China Natural Oxygen Bar” in 2023. Its distinctive cultural identity is equally important: Tunchang is nationally known for traditional martial arts and locally famous for its farmer oil-painting tradition.

Basic Information

Hainan’s official provincial introduction records a land area of 1,223.98 square kilometres and confirms that Tunchang administers eight towns. Current administrative data list Tuncheng, Xinxing, Fengmu, Wupo, Nanlü, Nankun, Poxin and Xichang.

Geographical Location

Tunchang lies in the north-central part of Hainan Island, on the southern side of the Nandu River basin and north of the Wuzhishan mountain region. Geographically, it occupies the transition between the relatively flatter northern part of Hainan and the mountainous central interior.

The county borders Ding'an County and Qionghai City to the east, Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County to the south, and Chengmai County to the west and north. Haikou lies to the north and is the most important major city influencing Tunchang economically and logistically.

The terrain consists mainly of low mountains, rolling hills, terraces and river valleys, with the land generally becoming higher toward the south. Numerous reservoirs, rivers and small lakes are scattered throughout the county. This combination of hills and water gives Tunchang a landscape quite different from Hainan's coastal plains.

Tunchang is frequently described in tourism promotion as Hainan's characteristic tropical hill country. Its location also makes it a natural transition point between the Haikou economic region and central Hainan's ecological and ethnic-cultural areas.

Climate

Tunchang has a tropical monsoon climate, with warm temperatures, abundant rainfall, high humidity and a long growing season.

Hainan's official introduction gives an annual average temperature of approximately 24.3°C. Temperatures vary relatively little during the year compared with northern China, although winter mornings and evenings can occasionally feel cool, particularly during periods of strong northeasterly monsoon weather.

Spring can experience short dry periods, while summer is generally hot and humid. Rainfall becomes more concentrated during the summer and autumn months, when tropical storms and typhoons may also influence the island.

The combination of warmth, precipitation and fertile tropical soils supports dense vegetation and year-round agricultural production. Forest coverage is reported at more than 70 percent, contributing to Tunchang's reputation for clean air and ecological wellness.

Population and Ethnic Groups

Tunchang has a relatively small and predominantly rural population. The official 2024 statistical bulletin recorded 255,000 permanent residents at the end of 2024, with an urbanisation rate of 45.89%. Updated 2025 administrative data indicate a population of approximately 254,900 and an urbanisation rate of around 45.90%, showing a broadly stable population level.

The county is home to 15 ethnic groups, with Han, Li, Miao and Zhuang communities among the most significant.

Unlike some central and southern Hainan counties where Li and Miao populations form a much larger proportion of residents, Tunchang has a stronger Han cultural presence while still retaining influences from Hainan's indigenous and minority traditions.

Transportation

Tunchang is an important road transportation hub in central-northern Hainan, but it currently has no passenger railway station or commercial airport. Road transportation therefore remains fundamental to local mobility.

The county lies within the Haikou one-hour economic circle and occupies an important position in Hainan's island-wide expressway network. Expressways, national highways and provincial roads connect Tunchang with Haikou, Chengmai, Ding'an, Qiongzhong and other parts of the island.

From Haikou, road distance is roughly 90 kilometres, and long-distance coaches provide connections between Haikou and Tunchang. Provincial tourism information describes Tunchang as an important junction for both north–south and east–west road travel in Hainan.

For air travel, Haikou Meilan International Airport is the principal gateway. Travellers arriving by high-speed rail normally transfer by road from stations in neighbouring cities or from Haikou.

This road-oriented transport structure also supports self-driving, motorcycle touring and cycling, sectors that Tunchang has increasingly incorporated into its outdoor and rural tourism development.

Historical and Cultural Character

Tunchang is a relatively young county compared with many historical administrative areas of Hainan. The name is commonly connected with the idea of people settling, cultivating previously undeveloped land and seeking prosperity, reflecting the migration and agricultural history of the region.

Its modern cultural identity is unusually diverse for a small inland county and is particularly associated with martial arts, oil painting, rural folk traditions, incense culture and traditional agriculture.

Martial Arts Culture

Tunchang was officially recognised as a “National Hometown of Martial Arts” (全国武术之乡) by the Wushu Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sport of China in 2015. Traditional local systems include Dama Wuxing Zhuang, Simen Guizong and Wumen Boxing, with some lineages tracing their history back more than a century.

Martial arts are not merely preserved as performances. They continue to be taught in schools and local communities, creating one of the county's strongest living cultural traditions.

Oil-Painting Culture

Tunchang is also widely known as a “Hometown of Oil Painting.” Since the 1980s, rural painters—particularly those connected with Xianliu Village—have developed a distinctive farmer-painting and commercial oil-painting industry.

The tradition has evolved from simple painting production into art education, exhibitions, cultural tourism and rural revitalisation. In recent years, artists and local painters have collaborated to create workshops and artistic communities, helping oil painting become an important part of Tunchang's cultural economy.

Folk and Rural Culture

Other elements of local heritage include Junpo festival traditions, traditional handicrafts, Miao embroidery, incense-making, rural food culture and historical village customs. The county's cultural-tourism strategy increasingly combines these traditions with wellness, sports and rural experiences.

Economy

Tunchang remains an agriculture-oriented county, although manufacturing, food processing, health industries and modern services are gradually increasing their importance.

In 2025, GDP reached RMB 11.645 billion, an increase of 2.2% in real terms. Primary-industry added value was RMB 4.38 billion, secondary-industry added value RMB 1.035 billion and tertiary-industry added value RMB 6.231 billion. Services therefore represented the largest single component, while agriculture continued to account for a substantial share of the economy.

Tropical Agriculture

Agriculture remains one of Tunchang's defining economic sectors. Tropical crops, livestock, forestry and agricultural processing form the backbone of many rural communities.

Tunchang Black Pig (屯昌黑猪) is one of the county's best-known agricultural brands. Development increasingly covers breeding, standardised farming, processing, prepared foods and branding rather than simply livestock production.

Southern medicinal plants, agarwood, rubber, betel nut, vegetables and other tropical products also contribute to the agricultural economy.

Industrial Transformation

Tunchang is developing Datong Industrial Park, a national-level industry-city integration demonstration area that has subsequently developed as an important provincial industrial platform.

Its industrial strategy prioritises deep processing of agricultural products, southern medicinal plants, food manufacturing, green and low-carbon manufacturing, new building materials, timber processing and modern logistics.

The broader development framework is known as “One Park, Three Industrial Zones and Two Centers”, combining Datong Industrial Park with green circular industries, new building materials, timber processing, specialty agricultural products, traditional medicine, health and tourism.

In the first quarter of 2026, the county economy grew 3.6%, while above-designated-size industrial added value increased by 7.2%, suggesting a gradual strengthening of the industrial sector.

Tourism Development

Tunchang does not compete directly with Sanya, Wanning or Lingshui for conventional beach holidays. Instead, its tourism strategy focuses on eco-wellness, rural tourism, tropical agriculture, food, art, martial arts, cycling and slow countryside travel.

The county's high forest coverage, hill-and-lake landscapes and location within the Haikou economic circle support short breaks and self-driving tourism. Cultural themes such as oil painting and martial arts are increasingly combined with rural revitalisation, while local food and agricultural products have become additional reasons for visitors to stay longer.

In 2025, Tunchang received approximately 1.6577 million tourist visits, up 9.0% year on year, including around 662,400 overnight visitors. Total tourism expenditure reached approximately RMB 957 million, an increase of 9.2%.

Development continued in 2026. During the first quarter alone, the county received approximately 614,400 visits, while tourism expenditure reached RMB 397 million, reflecting increasing integration between cultural events, sports, food tourism and rural leisure.

Rather than concentrating development around a few large conventional attractions, Tunchang is increasingly pursuing a countywide tourism model, connecting villages, farms, art communities, food streets, wellness facilities and outdoor recreation.