Apostolic Prefecture of Hainan

Hainan, the island province, is the southernmost point of China. The main island is 3.39 sq. kilometers in area. Ethnic groups like Han, Li, Miao, and Hui, have inhabited the place for quite a long time.

Haikou, the port city in the north, is the provincial capital while Sanya in the south is the most famous resort area on the island. The annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia has also made Boao town in the eastern coastal Qionghai city, a well-known place for many.

St. Teresa's Church in Ding'an County is the oldest church on the island. It was built in 1892 by the French missionaries. It is now a popular pilgrimage site among the foreign and local visitors alike.

Apostolic Prefecture of Hainan

Hainan was detached from the Apostolic Vicariate of Pakhoi (Beihai), in April 1929. It has functioned as Mission Independent from 1929-1936. Hainan has been an Apostolic Prefecture since the year 1946. It has been listed so in Annuario Pontificio 2018, the Pontifical Yearbook, but the Chinese government has named it a diocese.