Despite local government attempts to market this place as a HOT Chinese tourist destination, (which have led to inevitable "renovations"), Haikou still has a few interesting sights and some charming old streets and alleys to wander and explore. Most of all however, this is a good place to get accustomed to the island and the laid back feeling about the place. Palm trees line the boulevards, and some well preserved colonial architecture adds to the feeling that this is a city with a distinct and unique way of life, struggling to come to terms with its new role as tourist destination and as the capital of one of China's newest Special Economic Zones and the nation's newest province.