Medical Tourism in Hainan: Boao Lecheng and Sanya
Hainan is China's only tropical province and its medical-tourism island. In Boao Lecheng — China's only national pilot zone for international medical tourism — hospitals can apply to use certain medicines and devices already approved abroad before they are approved in China. In Sanya, branches of Beijing's Peking University School of Stomatology and 301 Hospital offer dental care and check-ups by the sea. Winters are warm, so it is a comfortable place to be treated and recover when it is cold at home.
By China MedPass · Updated · How we write
What China MedPass does in Hainan
China MedPass arranges care in Hainan the same way as in our other cities: we check your case first, book through each hospital's official system, arrange remote consultations with specialists, and arrange interpretation for your visit. For complex treatment we compare Hainan with Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu and tell you honestly where your case fits best.
- Boao Lecheng: the national pilot zone where selected medicines and devices approved in other countries can be used before approval in China, through a special case-by-case process.
- Warm all year: winter days are usually around 20–26 °C, a comfortable place to recover when it is cold at home.
- Sanya: dental care at the Peking University School of Stomatology branch, check-ups at the 301 Hospital's Hainan hospital, and traditional Chinese medicine.
- Direct international flights to Sanya (SYX) and Haikou (HAK), including from Russia; Hainan also has its own visa-free entry policy for many countries — check the current rules for your passport.
Boao Lecheng: medicines approved abroad, used in China
The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, in Qionghai on Hainan's east coast, was approved by China's State Council in 2013 and is the only zone of its kind in the country. Hospitals inside it can apply to use specific medicines and medical devices that are approved in other countries but not yet in China, for patients with a clinical need.
- A doctor at a hospital in the zone assesses whether the medicine or device fits your case. Approval is case by case and not guaranteed.
- After approval the medicine is imported for your treatment. That takes time — plan for weeks, not days, and confirm the timeline before booking flights.
- Treatment is self-pay. Ask for the full cost in writing first: the medicine, the hospital stay and any follow-up doses.
- Send us the name of the medicine or device and your records. We check with Boao Lecheng hospitals whether and how it can be arranged before you travel.
Not every medicine approved abroad can be arranged, and some treatments need repeat doses — plan how treatment will continue after you go home.
Leading Hainan hospitals and what they are known for
Boao Lecheng is for treatments not yet available elsewhere in China; Sanya suits dental work, health check-ups, TCM and recovery. For complex surgery the national leaders in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu may be the better choice — we will say so.
Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Sanya Branch
Dental implants · Restorative dentistry & crowns · Orthodontics · Oral surgery
International patient guide →Hainan Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital Hainan)
Comprehensive specialist care · Health check-ups · Internal medicine · Surgery
International patient guide →Sanya People's Hospital (West China Sanya Hospital, Sichuan University)
Comprehensive specialist care · Emergency care · Internal medicine · Surgery
International patient guide →Sanya Central Hospital (Hainan Third People's Hospital)
Comprehensive specialist care · Internal medicine · Surgery · Imaging
International patient guide →Sanya Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture · Tuina massage · Herbal medicine · TCM rehabilitation
International patient guide →Boao Super Hospital (Boao Lecheng)
Pilot-zone access to medicines and devices approved abroad · Visiting specialist teams · Oncology and chronic disease care
International patient guide →Ruijin Hainan Hospital (Boao Research Hospital)
Pilot-zone access to medicines and devices approved abroad · Specialist care linked to Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai · Clinical research
International patient guide →China MedPass is independent and is not an official representative of these hospitals. We take no commission from hospitals or doctors.
How booking works for foreigners
From our coordination work in public hospitals (as of September 2026). Release windows and fees differ by hospital; our local coordinators check the rules of your hospital.
- Booking is real-name: we need the patient's passport details (name exactly as on the passport) before appointment slots are released.
- Each hospital releases slots on its own schedule — in Beijing we see anything from about 7 to 15 days ahead — so we check the rules of your hospital before you fix travel dates.
- Slots cannot be held. A booking exists only once registration succeeds, which is why payment comes before we book.
- Nobody can promise a named specialist. We show you which suitable specialists see patients on your dates, you choose, and registration confirms it.
- Public hospitals do not provide interpreters — international departments included. China MedPass interprets at every consultation.
- Specialists usually need the original imaging (DICOM files), not screenshots or report photos. Send your records in their original language; we translate them so terms and values stay accurate.
- There is no quiet season. Plan early and avoid National Day (1–7 October) and the Spring Festival period, when specialist clinics largely close.
Hospital fees are passed on at cost with the hospital's receipt, and we are paid before we advance any hospital fee. See how a remote consultation works and our cost guides.
Getting to Hainan
- Direct international flights into Sanya Phoenix (SYX) and Haikou Meilan (HAK), including routes from Russian cities; schedules change by season.
- Boao Lecheng is on the east coast, reachable by high-speed rail from both Haikou and Sanya.
- From Beijing it is about a four-hour flight.
- Check the visa rules for your passport before booking; we can provide a factual visa support letter.
Hainan hospitals FAQ
What is Boao Lecheng?
China's only national pilot zone for international medical tourism, in Qionghai, Hainan. Its hospitals can apply to use specific medicines and devices already approved abroad but not yet approved in China, for patients with a clinical need.
Can I get a medicine in Boao Lecheng that is not approved in China?
Possibly. It is decided case by case by the hospital and the approval process, and it is not guaranteed. Send us the name of the medicine and your records and we will check before you travel.
When is the best time to go?
Hainan is warm all year. Winter (November to March) is dry and mild, with daytime temperatures usually around 20–26 °C; summer is hot and humid, with typhoons possible.
What do people come to Sanya for?
Dental treatment at the Peking University School of Stomatology branch, health check-ups at the 301 Hospital's Hainan hospital, and traditional Chinese medicine courses — combined with time by the sea.
Can Russian patients pay without US dollars?
Yes. Patients in Russia can pay by transfer through Russian money-transfer services to a Chinese UnionPay card. Account details are sent after the booking is confirmed.
Planning care in Hainan?
Send your records in their original language. We tell you honestly which city and hospital fit your case, and what it would involve.
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