| Wenchang | |
| Settlement Type: | County-level & Sub-prefectural city |
| Pushpin Map: | Hainan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the city center in Hainan |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | People's Republic of China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hainan |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 2403 |
| Population As Of: | 2010 |
| Population Total: | 537,428 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Metro: | 115000 |
| Timezone: | China standard time |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Wenchang Park |
| Coordinates: | 19.617°N 110.7551°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 571300 |
| Area Code: | 0898 |
| Website: | http://www.wenchang.gov.cn |
Wenchang (postal: Mencheong; ; Hainanese spellings: Boon Siou) is a county-level city in the northeast of Hainan Island in China. Covering an area of, the city has a coastline of, and is divided into 17 towns.
The city is a major target for typhoons in the northwestern Pacific,[1] and experiences the most frequent and severe typhoon-induced storm surges in the South China Sea.[2] The city is a major ancestral home of Chinese diaspora, with the local dish Wenchang chicken as an origin of Hainanese chicken rice in Southeast Asia. Since 2016, the city has also been home to China’s newest spaceport.[3]
Wenchang was elevated from a county to a city on November 7, 1995. Its population was recorded as 86,551 in 1999, with an estimated increase to 115,000 by 2006. Maps published by the Republic of China in Taiwan still depict Wenchang as a county within its Guangdong province.
In 2016, Wenchang Space Launch Site was put in use, which is China's latest spaceport.
Located in the northeastern part of Hainan, Boon Siou/Wenchang covers a total area of . The east side has a long coastline along the South China Sea while the west borders Dongzhai Harbor, Haikou's Meilan District, Qionghai, and Ding'an County. The land is mostly hilly and contains both forest and agricultural areas. The entire area is populated with countless towns, farms, and villages.
Wencheng Town is located in the south of Wenchang, southeast of the provincial capital, Haikou.[4] There is a central park and covered market downtown. Also located downtown is a large, modern campus. A new hospital is under construction on the outskirts.
The centre of the town is at near sea level with a canal running between one of the main streets and Wennan Old Street. This area has been subject severe flooding a number of times in the past. Another main road runs from the centre, uphill to the south. This road leads to Yilong Bay. Directly to the north of the town centre lies a fairly affluent hilltop community occupied by numerous housing compounds for retired military and other government workers.
Wennan Old Street is a visitor attraction located in the heart of the town. The street is lined with fully restored tong lau buildings similar to those in Haikou's Bo'ai Road area (now being restored) as well as the old street in Puqian (unrestored and dilapidated).
Wenchang has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am).
Wenchang Chicken originates from this city.
Wenchang is the ancestral home of the Soong sisters: Soong Ching-ling, Soong Ai-ling, Soong Mei-ling and the birthplace of their father Charlie Soong.
See main article: Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. The Wenchang Satellite Launch Center is located in Wenchang. This is China's fourth and southernmost space vehicle launch facility and because of its low latitude, the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center has been selected to launch China's space station. On 22 September 2007, CCTV officially announced the construction of an expanded Wenchang Satellite Launch Center has been approved by the State Council and the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China[5] after decades of postponement due to political concerns.
Wenchang is the ancestral homeland of most overseas Hainanese migrants. A significant portion of the Hainanese populations in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, and Europe trace their roots to Wenchang. The Wenchang dialect is regarded as the prestige variety of the Hainanese language and is used by the island's provincial broadcasting media.