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Explore the region
About China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea
Shipwreck archaeology, traded ceramics, navigation and fishing knowledge explain how people travelled and worked across these waters. Its boat-like modern building is an architectural attraction, but the collections deserve most of your time. This is the Qionghai museum on Bowuguan Road, not the similarly named Nanhai District Museum in Foshan.
In May 2016 the Hainan authorities launched the museum's construction as part of the province's Hainan International Tourism Island initiative, responding to documents issued by the State Council and the National Development and Reform Commission. The museum opened on 26 April 2018.
The museum occupies a site of 150 mu (亩), with a building area of 70,593 square meters. It was approved as a 4A-level tourist scenic area (4A级旅游景区) in October 2019, named a fourth-batch national first-grade museum (国家一级博物馆) in December 2020, and registered as a national patriotic education demonstration site (全国爱国主义教育示范基地) in June 2021.
What to look for
- Shipwreck finds, export ceramics and maritime trade displays.
- Navigation records and interpretation of fishing communities and marine environments.
The surrounding area
Eastern base for Jiaji food and Tanmen's maritime museum and fishing-town setting.
Location & getting there
Getting to China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea
Navigate to 1 Bowuguan Road in Tanmen town, Qionghai. Check the museum’s current reservation instructions and accepted identification before travelling from Boao.
Combine your visit
Suggested order for a focused visit to this part of Hainan.
-
Maritime history galleries海洋历史展厅
Begin with navigation, trade and archaeological interpretation.
-
Tanmen fishing harbour潭门渔港
Continue by road to see the local maritime setting.
Confirm the opening of individual stops and the return connection. This is an editorial sequence, not a combined ticket.
Find China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea
中国（海南）南海博物馆 · 琼海
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Bo'ao 博鳌
8 km awayBoao is a small coastal town at the mouth of the Wanquan River, known internationally for its annual forum but worth understanding as an estuary destination. Riverside views, the sea-facing town and the Yudai sandbar make a…
View guide →Yudai Beach 玉带滩
9 km awayYudai Beach is the narrow sandbar associated with Boao’s river mouth, where the enclosed estuary and open sea create two contrasting waterscapes. The interest is the shape of the coast and the views back toward Boao, rather than…
View guide →Bo'ao Forum 博鳌亚洲论坛永久会址
10 km awayThe permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia is on Dongyu Island, within the estuary landscape south of Boao town. Visitors come for the conference setting and the story of a small Hainan town becoming an international meeting…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
- China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea: official museum ↗
- Hainan government: museum collections and address ↗
- Chinese Wikipedia: 中国（海南）南海博物馆 (revision 92413577, 2026-04-25) ↗
Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "中国（海南）南海博物馆", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92413577.