Lingao

Lingao (临高; Língāo) is a county in the northwest of Hainan, China.

Understand

Lingao is best known for Cape Lingao (临高角; Língāojiǎo) - the site of a historic lighthouse and the main landing site for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during the Hainan Campaign of the Chinese Civil War. The area around Cape Lingao is now known as Hainan Liberation Park.

The county seat of Lingao is the town of Lincheng (临城; Línchéng).

Get in

Lingao may be reached by both bus and train. Some visitors prefer to take the bus because the train station is quite far (about 16km by road) from Lincheng's town center whereas the Lingao Bus Station is in a much more central location.

By bus

• 1 Lingao Bus Station (临高汽车站), Jiangnan Road, Lincheng (临城镇江南路) (in Lincheng's town center, at the intersection of Jiangnan Road and Linmei Road), ☏ +86 898 28284323. This is Lingao’s main bus station. There are frequent buses to this station from Haikou. These buses generally depart from Haikou West Bus Station. Buses to Lingao are also available from Sanya, Danzhou and Wenchang. (updated Oct 2021)

By train

Lingao South Railway Station

• 2 Lingao South Railway Station (临高南站), Bohou Town (博厚镇) (about 16km southeast of the center of Lincheng; the train station is linked to the bus station via bus nos. 10 and 30). The station is on the western section of Hainan's high-speed railway line, which follows a circular route around the island. Trains services to Lingao are available from all major coastal cities on the island, including Haikou, Sanya, Dongfang, Wenchang, Qionghai and Wanning. (updated Oct 2021)

Get around

In Lincheng, the public bus network extends from Lingao South Railway Station in the south to Hainan Liberation Park in the north. Taxis and auto-rickshaws are also available.

Long-distance buses operate between the Lingao Bus Station in Lincheng and other towns in Lingao.

See

• 1 Hainan Liberation Park (海南解放公园, originally known as the Cape Lingao Tourism Area临高角旅游区), County Highway 311, Lincheng (临城镇311县道) (about 10km north of the center of Lincheng; take bus no. 6 from outside Lingao Bus Station; some long-distance buses also stop here). 08:00-17:00. Lingao's main tourist attraction. It commemorates the landing of PLA troops during the Hainan Campaign of the Chinese Civil War. Notable sights within the park include a giant statue representing the PLA soldiers; a museum about the Hainan Campaign, the remains of a trench used during the war, and a historic lighthouse built by the French in the 1890s. Free. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Lingao Confucius Temple (临高文庙), Jiangbei Road, Lincheng (临城镇江北路) (about 500 meters west of Lingao Bus Station). 08:00-18:00. Originally founded during the Song Dynasty, the temple was destroyed during the Yuan Dynasty and rebuilt at its present location during the Ming Dynasty. Free. (updated Oct 2021)
• 3 Wenlan Cultural Park (文澜文化公园, Lanjiang Cultural Park 澜江文化公园), Shizheng Avenue, Lincheng (临城镇市政大道) (take either bus no. 4 or bus no. 6). Open all day. One of Lingao’s newest attractions. The park was established in the 2010s. It features a long line of memorial arches. Each set of arches has a unique style, representing different periods in Chinese history. A night market is held here every night from about 7:00 PM. Free. (updated Oct 2021)

Do

• 1 Lingao County Cultural Park (临高县文化公园), 30 Wenming Road, Lincheng (临城镇文明路30号) (about 1km northwest of Lingao Bus Station; take bus no. 9). Open all day. A park with indoor and outdoor sporting facilities, as well as a stage for traditional opera and puppet shows. Free. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Lingao County Art and Culture Center (临高县文化艺术中心), Intersection of Shizheng Avenue and Jinlan Avenue, Lincheng (临城镇政大道与金澜大道交叉口) (near Wenlan Cultural Park). The main art center in Lingao County. It hosts both visual art exhibitions and performing arts shows. (updated Oct 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Country Garden Xiaocheng Zhichun Holiday Hotel (碧桂园小城之春假日酒店), 3 Jiangbei Road East, Lincheng (临城镇江北东路3号) (about 1.5km northeast of Lingao Bus Station; take bus no. 5, 7 or 8), ☏ +86 898 36288888. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A three-star hotel. Room rates start from ¥356 per night. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Vienna Hotel Lingao (维也纳酒店海南临高店), 107 Erhuan Road, Lincheng (临城镇二环路107号) (about 1km south of Lingao Bus Station; bus no. 11 stops nearby), ☏ +86 898 28319999. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A three-star hotel. Room rates start from ¥268 per night. (updated Jan 2022)

Go next

• Haikou
• Danzhou