In Wanning, a coastal city in China's tropical island province of Hainan, the rich aroma of local cocoa blends with the sound of ocean waves, offering visitors a unique vacation experience. Known for its surfing and diving spots, the city is gaining recognition for a new attraction — its growing chocolate culture.
The recently viral chocolate town in Xinglong has become a symbol of this emerging trend. It was in 1954 when returning overseas Chinese brought back cocoa seeds from Southeast Asia, igniting the beginning of cocoa cultivation in China.
Over the decades, Hainan's tropical climate and distinctive local culture have nurtured cocoa beans with a unique flavor profile. Today, building on this heritage, the town has developed into Hainan's first chocolate-themed cultural destination, integrating production, research, tourism and hands-on experiences. It features a cocoa workshop, a cocoa seed museum, an educational center, chocolate shops, themed restaurants, a cafe-bar, and boutique cocoa-themed accommodations.
The chocolate-making experience is particularly popular among families, with the workshop often filled with eager participants. Children learn to grind cocoa beans into powder and witness the entire process of turning beans into chocolate
"It's really fun here, and the chocolate is delicious," said Eli, a young visitor from the UK, after a DIY chocolate session. His mother mentioned that they visit the workshop frequently during their stay in Wanning.
"Thanks to Wanning's unique terroir, local cocoa beans develop a distinct flavor that many children really enjoy," said Luo Tianqi, an instructor at the workshop, as she helped children pour chocolate into molds. "During peak season, we sometimes host over 100 participants in a single day."
"Our handmade chocolate experience has been running for over two years. Though small in scale, the process is well established," said Tang Yidong, project manager of the chocolate town. "During the Spring Festival peak period, we receive around 20,000 visitors per month, averaging about 700 per day."
Inspired by the town's success, numerous chocolate experience shops have emerged across Wanning over the past three years. According to the local cocoa association, there are more than 50 small-scaled chocolate experience shops throughout Hainan, a third of which are located in Wanning, most opened in the past year.
Unlike mass-production models, Wanning's edge lies in its local culture. "We compete not on output, but on culture. Here, visitors not only taste chocolate, but also touch the history and craftsmanship behind it," Tang said.
Jenny Yan, owner of a local chocolate workshop, added: "Hainan cocoa is not yet widely known, but it is a high-quality variety recognized among the world's fine cocoas. We want to help more people understand what good chocolate tastes like and how to choose it. We hope Xinglong's cocoa culture, though developing slowly, will gain momentum."
"We also aim to improve our chocolate logistics to distribute Hainan chocolate to other provinces," Tang added.
Liu Ziqi, Wu Xinxin, and Yang Xinzhuo contributed to this story.
