HaikouWade-Giles romanization Hai-k’ouPinyin Haikou,
conventional Hoihowcity in and capital of Hainan sheng
(province), southern China. Hai-k’ou is the provincial capital
of Hainan sheng. It is situated on the north coast of Hainan
Island, facing the Luichow Leizhou Peninsula, across the Hainan
(Qiongzhou) Strait (9.5 miles [15 km] wide). Hai-k’ou Haikou
originally grew up as the port for Ch’iung-shanQiongshan, the
ancient administrative capital of Hainan Island, which is
situated some 3 miles (5 km) inland.      Qiongshan was opened
to foreign trade under the Treaty of   Tianjin (1876),   Haikou
began to rival the old administrative city.   Haikou was created
a separate administrative county in 1926; it overtook
Qiongshan in population in the 1930s.    Since 1949  , Hai-k’ou
, and it has replaced    There is a small amount of industry,
including canning, textiles, rice hulling, and light
engineering. Pop. (1985 est.) 198,900