Hainan Pushes Major Infrastructure Ahead Following Island-Wide Customs Launch

Construction teams across Hainan maintained operations through the National Day holiday, pushing forward strategic infrastructure projects following the launch of island-wide customs closure operations in December 2025. Projects underway include a 67,400-square-meter marine technology commercialization hub in Sanya, the 428-meter Hainan Center skyscraper in Haikou, and the Phase II expansion of the South China Sea Museum in Qionghai. State-owned engineering enterprises are simultaneously advancing municipal projects, such as rural water pipe overhauls and medical campus facilities, aligning with provincial targets to expand the marine economy to 45% of gross domestic product by 2030.

The steady pace of construction underscores Hainan's push to build institutional and physical carrying capacity following its milestone transition to island-wide customs operations. By coupling deep-sea technology platforms and tall commercial towers with regional water grids and medical education facilities, provincial authorities are attempting to anchor high-value industrial clusters while upgrading foundational public infrastructure.

Construction sites across Hainan Free Trade Port remained active during the early October 2026 National Day holiday, with central state-owned engineering contractors treating the period as an intensive work sprint, according to Xinhua reports published by People's Daily. The push comes as the province accelerates infrastructure rollout following the launch of island-wide customs closure operations on December 18, 2025. At Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, more than 240 builders remained on-site at a marine space development technology innovation and commercialization platform, managed by China Construction Third Engineering Division. The 67,400-square-meter facility—comprising two development buildings and an exchange exhibition center—is intended to foster deep-sea innovation and international maritime cooperation. The park has already attracted more than 1,000 deep-sea technology enterprises, supporting the provincial government's stated priority to accelerate maritime development. In Qionghai's Tanmen area, construction workers advanced structural work on the second phase of the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea. Led by China Construction Fifth Engineering Division, the roughly 798-million-yuan project spans approximately 68,000 square meters. Once operational, the venue is designated to display artifacts excavated from deep-sea archaeological expeditions. Hainan's 15th Five-Year Plan for marine economic development targets the marine sector to account for more than 45 percent of the province's gross domestic product by 2030. Vertical and institutional development also advanced in Haikou. At the Hainan Center site, more than 400 workers conducted hoisting, welding, and anti-corrosion tasks at a height of 400 meters. The project, set to become Hainan's tallest building at 428 meters, had its outer frame reach the 94th floor and facade curtain wall reach the 79th floor after its aerial building machine was dismantled in late July 2026. In nearby Jiangdong New Area, Hainan Medical University's Guilin Yang new campus topped out major structural components across 11 dormitories, three academic buildings, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium. Municipal infrastructure also maintained momentum. In Haikou's Meilan District, China Construction Sixth Engineering Division workers connected water supply pipelines serving roughly 80 households across four natural villages. The project, which has laid 35.8 kilometers of main pipes and 33.2 kilometers of branch lines, is scheduled to start municipal water supply to Longbao village on October 25, 2026, ahead of total project completion in February 2027.