Any trip to the highlands of Hainan must include sampling the local Li minority special dishes and snacks.

The Li people here mostly dwell in the mountain ranges of central Hainan, with a history of isolation from the outside world in terms of culture and cuisine. Most of the materials used in local dishes and cooking are natural mountain products and the dishes are generally refreshing and tasty. The dishes not only sound appealing but are also popular with westerners. Bamboo rice, Fish tea and Pumpkin rice rice are all unique Hainan specialties. Sampling the food of the Li people should be an indispensibale part of your trip to the highlands.

In Tongzha city, there are plenty of good places to taste these dishes. The restaurants on Henan Lu and Jiefang Lu are usually safe bets and simple western food can be found here. The restaurant opposite the bus station serves nice dim-sum.