Haikou, China: Where the City Becomes a Stage and Art Belongs to All

Events
The Buzz Nepal
October 12 , 2025

HAIKOU, CHINA – From September 28 to October 8, Haikou, the capital of China’s Hainan Province, captured global attention with a dazzling celebration of creativity. Nearly 150 public art events – from lawn concerts and opera salons to street parades – turned the city into a living, breathing stage of imagination. The “Land of International Performing Arts” truly came alive as Haikou transformed into a boundless palace of art and culture.

“The art of paper cutting can be worn!” said Mohammed, a visitor from Sudan, as he admired children wearing costumes inspired by Chinese paper-cutting at the 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage Fashion Show. “In Haikou, art is everywhere.” Like many others, he and his friends spent their holiday fully immersed in the city’s vibrant artistic energy.

Indeed, during Haikou Art Week 2025, the city radiated with creativity. In a century-old village, models walked a volcanic stone runway wearing traditional Mamian skirts. Along Qilou Old Street, Eastern and Western art exhibitions filled the air with color and conversation. And at Evergreen Park, dazzling drone shows lit up the night sky – offering visitors a mesmerizing blend of culture, technology, and tradition.

“This trip was particularly meaningful. My kids not only learned about history but also developed artistic inspiration,” shared a father from northern China after attending a symphony concert. “It’s something you can’t get in a classroom.”

With its diverse lineup of events, the 2025 Haikou Art Week invited global travelers to experience local culture firsthand, showcasing the city’s charm as a high-quality vacation destination while boosting tourism. Over the National Day holiday, Haikou welcomed 1.13 million visitors and generated 1.41 billion yuan in tourism revenue.

*The 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage Fashion Show, inspired by traditional paper cutting, drew a large audience.*

But Haikou’s artistic spirit doesn’t end with the festival. In recent years, the city has been nurturing a culture of creativity all year round – introducing reading corners, pop-up art exhibitions, and community art spaces across libraries, neighborhoods, and shopping centers. These efforts have built a vibrant ecosystem where art is accessible to all, making creativity part of everyday life.

Haikou continues to evolve as a city that not only welcomes art but lives and breathes it – proving that when creativity meets community, a city can truly become a masterpiece in itself.