Get to know Ledong Li Autonomous County
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- Administrative area
- Autonomous county · 自治县
- Part of
- Hainan
- Chinese name
- 乐东黎族自治县
- Local areas
- Autonomous county guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 2,745.40 km²
- Population · 2020
- 464,435
- Administrative seat
- Baoyou
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The county government lists Maogong Mountain (毛公山), Jiaxiling (佳西岭) and the Jianfengling (尖峰岭) national forest park among its natural sights, with the Changhua River (昌化江) and the Wanglou River (望楼河) as its inland waters. Jianfengling, on the border with Dongfang (东方), is a national nature reserve of mountain terrain covered mainly in tropical montane rain forest, rising to 1,412 metres; the rainy season runs from May to October.
On the coast lie three bays, Longmu (龙沐湾), Longqi (龙栖湾) and Longteng (龙腾湾), and the Yinggehai salt field (莺歌海盐场), which the county government calls the largest salt works in southern China. Oil and natural gas are found offshore in the Yinggehai sea area.
History
A Han-dynasty silver seal inscribed "Zhulu zhi" (朱庐执), unearthed in the county, is taken by the county government as evidence that Li ancestors lived here more than two thousand years ago. In 1614 the Ming built the Le'an garrison (乐安营) on Ruizhi Hill (瑞芝山), 6 kilometres south of today's Baoyou, naming it after the Le'an River, the present Changhua. Le'an County was formed in April 1935 as one of three counties carved out of the Li areas around Wuzhi Mountain (五指山), and the Ledong Li Autonomous County was created on 28 December 1987.
Food, crafts and local products
Li textile techniques are on the national intangible heritage list: cotton weaving at Qianjia (千家镇) and hemp weaving at Zhizhong (志仲镇), together with Yazhou folk songs (崖州民歌). The Ministry of Culture named Da'an (大安镇) and Huangliu (黄流镇) home towns of folk art for paper-cutting and festive lanterns.
The county grows bananas, Hami melons and mangoes, its cashews are well known, and it is a base for breeding seed crops in the southern winter. At its 2025 Sanyuesan (三月三) festival market, stalls from the towns sold three-colour rice (三色饭), Shanlan rice wine (山兰酒), Huangliu kufen (黄流酷粉), Xinpo sweet potatoes (新坡地瓜) and dried seafood.
Highlights
- Jianfengling 尖峰岭: National nature reserve of tropical montane rain forest, peak 1,412 m.
- Yinggehai salt field 莺歌海盐场: Called the largest salt works in southern China by the county government.
- Maogong Mountain 毛公山: Named by the county government among its natural sights.
- Li cotton weaving of Qianjia 千家镇黎族棉纺织工艺: Part of the national-list Li textile techniques.
- Huangliu kufen 黄流酷粉: Sold at the county's Sanyuesan food market.
Sources for this guide
【乐东概况】_乐东概况_乐东黎族自治县人民政府网 · Ledong Li Autonomous County People's Government
乐东特色美食深受市民游客欢迎_特色美食_乐东黎族自治县人民政府网 · Ledong Li Autonomous County People's Government
乐东黎族自治县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
海南尖峰岭国家级自然保护区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Ledong Li Autonomous County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Ledong Li Autonomous County
Misty view of the Tianchi lake area within the Jianfengling nature reserve, Hainan · Local life & food
Ledong Li Autonomous County local specialties
乐东黎族自治县特色美食 · 7 specialties to discover
Huangliu duck 黄流老鸭AI illustration · AI 示意图
The meat has a substantial chew and a clear duck flavor; a poached version keeps the skin pale, while frying gives a more concentrated surface.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Ledong Roast Suckling Pig 乐东烤乳猪AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Ledong Roast Suckling Pig (乐东烤乳猪) is listed among the local specialties of Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan. The name includes 乳猪 (suckling pig). 烤 describes roasting or grilling.
Read the dish guide →
Foluo Harbour Seafood 佛罗港海鲜
Foluo Harbour Seafood (佛罗港海鲜) is listed among the local specialties of Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan. The name includes 海鲜 (seafood).
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Li Fermented Fish and Rice 黎家鱼茶
Li Fermented Fish and Rice (黎家鱼茶), known in Hainan as yucha, is a Li (黎族) dish of raw fish mixed with cooked rice and salt and left to ferment in a sealed jar.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Shanlan Upland Rice 山兰米饭AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Shanlan Upland Rice (山兰米饭) is rice cooked from Shanlan (山兰, also written 山栏), the dry-land hill rice of the Li people (黎族) of Hainan.
Read the dish guide →
Coconut rice 椰子饭AI illustration · AI 示意图
The rice is dense and softly chewy, with a gentle coconut fragrance and sweetness; a thin layer of coconut flesh may add bite.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Jiusuo Dressed Rice Noodles 九所腌粉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Jiusuo Dressed Rice Noodles (九所腌粉) is listed among the local specialties of Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan. It is grouped here with cured meats & roast-shop dishes; retain the complete Chinese name when comparing local menus.
Read the dish guide →More dishes from across Hainan are in the Hainan food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 乐东黎族自治县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Jianfengling. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Hainan →More in Hainan
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 乐东黎族自治县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 海南尖峰岭国家级自然保护区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Jianfengling · GPS8 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.