Hainan lies in southern China and is the second largest island in China. It abounds in coconuts. With the shell of coconut as the material, Hainan Island developed a special folk art of coconut carving more than 1,000 years ago.

Hainan coconut carving was first recorded in the documents of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It began to flourish in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). After years of improvement, it developed into a special local art.

Crafts carved from the shells of coconuts are a popular Hainan knickknack. Sometimes the outside of the shell of a coconut is engraved with grains and its inner side is embedded with tin, copper, silver. The coconut-carved articles include bowls, plates, bottles as well as tea sets, and drinking vessels, etc. Coconut crafts are greatly loved by people all over the world and at present are exported to more than 20 countries and regions.