Family Cao Residence

💥 When you come to Bo'ao in Qionghai, you must visit the beautiful village with more than 400 years of history—📍Liuke Village, which is also known as the "Number One Overseas Chinese Village in Hainan". Here, you can not only admire the old residences with overseas Chinese characteristics but also stroll along the Wanquan River, read about the history of the ancient ferry, and experience a different Hainan story. 💥 In the village, there is a Cai family residence, known as the "Number One Overseas Chinese Residence in Hainan", which was built by the famous Indonesian Chinese community leader Cai Jiasen. The Cai family compound covers an area of 75 acres and includes a tropical exotic fruit orchard, which is particularly photogenic 📸 📍Location: Liuke Village, Qionghai City, Hainan Province, can also be directly navigated to "Liuke Village/Cai Family Residence". ⏰Time: Open all day 🎫Ticket: Free However, from February 10 to March 11, 2024, the scenic area will charge an entrance fee to the village (residence). Adult ticket: 48 yuan/piece, Child ticket: 28 yuan/piece, Seniors 70 years old (inclusive) and above: free. 🅿️Parking fee: 10 yuan/vehicle; free parking within 30 minutes. ✅Little Tips: 1️⃣ Personal recommendation for visiting time is 1-3h. 2️⃣ Electric cart one-way 10 yuan/person; round-trip 15 yuan/person. The distance from the starting station to the electric cart parking point is about 800 meters. ⚠️ Personally, I recommend walking there, as you can not only see the super beautiful rural scenery along the way but also enter a Hainan village with modern characteristics. 3️⃣ The Cai family still lives in the Cai family residence, and you can also talk to them to learn more interesting stories about the Cai family residence. 4️⃣ The tropical exotic fruit orchard in the Cai family residence is particularly beautiful for photos, but there are many mosquitoes, so be sure to do a good job of mosquito and insect prevention~ 5️⃣ There are few shops in the scenic area, mainly concentrated near the electric cart parking point. It is recommended to prepare food and water in advance.

At the beginning of 2024, I came to Boao for a few days and specifically visited the Cai family residence. It is a product of the collision between classical art and Southeast Asian culture, reflecting the experiences of the owner. The Cai family residence, with its 90-year history plus the 100 years of its construction, has weathered many storms and can be said to be a microcosm of modern Chinese history! What impressed me the most was how the Cai brothers managed to build such a significant family business in a foreign land, which I greatly admire!

I searched for the rural Cai Family Residence located in Boao and drove there. The other rural tourist attractions along the way were not very impressive; the only thing worth seeing in Jia Mei Village is the river. Near the road to Cai Family Village, there is a Bruce Memorial Park. Bruce was a great contributor to the defense of Yan'an and the protection of Mao and other senior leaders, but he was persecuted in the early 1950s and spent more than 20 years in prison until his death in 1972. His wife, Lü Huang, campaigned for his release and was also dismissed from her public position until vindicated after the Cultural Revolution ended. The Cai Family Residence is located at the old Wanquan River ferry, built by overseas Chinese, but it is unknown where their descendants have gone.

A Cai Family Mansion represents half a step into modern history. At the age of 15, Cai Jiasen ventured across the ocean to Indonesia to make a living. Through his hard work, diligence, and intelligence, he accumulated a lot of wealth. Because of his high prestige among the Chinese, he was conferred the title of 'Kapitan' by the Dutch government at the time. He never forgot his hometown, and he and his three brothers returned to Qionghai Liuke Village and spent ten years building the 'Cai Family Mansion'. The mansion has excellent Feng Shui. The mansion has been requisitioned by the Japanese invaders, the Kuomintang army, the People's Liberation Army, and the People's Government, witnessing history.