The Dongjiao coconut grove occupies a long peninsula northeast of Wenchang city, where approximately half a million coconut palms stretch across sandy terrain between the sea and a shallow inland bay. The scale of the planting makes it feel less like a park and more like a natural landscape — the palms stand far enough apart to move between them freely, and the filtered light at different times of day creates constantly changing atmospheres.
Fishing villages sit among the palms and sell seafood that has been pulled from the surrounding waters that morning — grilled crab, clams in a garlic sauce, prawn dishes cooked simply over open fires. This is the recommended approach to lunch: walk the grove in the morning, eat at one of the beach-side stalls when the heat peaks. The outer coast of the peninsula has beaches that are largely undeveloped by Hainan standards, with clear water and no resort infrastructure.