haikou

haikou is very busy and cheap. Best thing about it is the betel nuts. Its just full of bikes - electric bikes as they care about the environment. The air quality is pretty good for china and the weather brilliant even the rainy days are warm and streets full of water disappear back to normal fairly soon.
I had a bicyle so theres lots of places to ride. Sometimes wheres theres nobody, riverline or coastline or off the beaten track some.
Its kinda a mindless, instinctive mass of people though the architecture is amazing whether developed highrise or quaint houses. And lots of flowers. People either don't worry or don't care ; more of a 'don't care' feel of a vibe around the place even though lots are working hard for a dollar, lots are hanging out too anytime of day.
Specially night-time is very busy around midnight with eateries happwniing and drinks with five, six around a table in groups. The midday is the quietest time, sleeping time.
It has everything you would want and no more expensive than anywhere in china.
its a cheaper capital city for sure with few foreigners though most of haikou are mainlanders.
Cheap clothing from shenzen, guangzhou with competitive prices - they don't really rip you off like you would expect. The traders are fair, more or less.

has beaches,not of a high quality though ; the parklands are far better comparitively. And is prepared for western tourism though that seems to be a failed experiment as western tourists aren't there..