From 4 to 9 July, Haikou hosts the 4th Wushu Taolu World Cup at the Wuyuan River Gymnasium, the indoor arena inside the Wuyuan River Sports Centre.
Hainan tourism authorities call it the highest-grade international wushu event the province has staged, and the first top-tier single-discipline wushu competition to land here under the Free Trade Port.
This is not an open tournament. The World Cup is one of six official events run by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), normally held every two years, with entry reserved for the top eight finishers at the World Championships.
The field is small and elite by design: around 110 athletes from an anticipated 28 to 30 countries and regions across five continents (figures organisers won’t finalise until competition opens), competing in 22 men’s and women’s events across four categories (barehand forms, long weapons, short weapons, and duilian, or choreographed sparring) for 22 gold medals. Organisers note it is the first time the World Cup has returned to China since the inaugural 2016 edition in Fuzhou.
Why this one matters beyond Hainan
Wushu makes its debut as an official medal sport at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games (31 October–13 November, Senegal), its first appearance in an Olympic-series Games. Organisers frame the Haikou World Cup as a preview of that debut, and a chance for IWUF technical officials to drill under competition conditions beforehand. For anyone following wushu’s long campaign toward Olympic recognition, this is a meaningful waypoint, not just a regional showcase.
The essentials
- Dates: 4–9 July 2026 (see the schedule note below)
- Venue: Wuyuan River Gymnasium (五源河体育馆) — the 18,000-seat indoor arena in the sports centre complex, Xiuying District, western Haikou. This is not the outdoor stadium beside it
- Field: ~110 athletes, an estimated 28–30 countries and regions
- Programme: 22 events, 22 gold medals, four discipline categories
- Organiser: International Wushu Federation
A note on the schedule: the official provincial press conference gives the event window as 4–9 July, while tourism material instead cites 7–9 July, reflecting the core competition days within the wider window, with the opening ceremony and technical activities falling earlier. A session-by-session programme has not been published as of writing, so confirm which days carry the medal events you want to see before you buy, and note ticket sales close 8 July.
Tickets
Single-day tickets are RMB 20, sold only through the “看个比赛” mini-programme. There are no physical tickets, entry is fully paperless and strictly real-name. The rules are strict:
- Sales window: opened 10:00, 16 June; runs to 8 July
- One person, one ID, one ticket. Each account can buy up to six tickets, and every attendee must enter valid ID details
- Entry is real-name and biometric. Chinese citizens scan their ID card and clear facial recognition. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents and foreign nationals must present the original valid document registered at purchase, your passport or permit, for verification at the gate. Bring the exact document you booked with
- Mismatches mean no entry. If the person, ticket and ID details don’t align, you will be turned away
- Children: those 1.2 m and over need a ticket; under 1.2 m enter free with a parent, one child per adult
Getting there
The gymnasium sits in the Wuyuan River Sports Centre complex in Xiuying District, on Haikou’s western side. Standing public bus routes serving the complex include 28, 35, 37, 40, 92, 94 and 210, with connections from the airport (line 2), Haikou East railway station (route 86 to 94) and the West bus station (route 40 to 94). Event-day routing can change for large events, so check the Haikou transport app before travelling. The West Coast beach is about ten minutes away by car.
Make a trip of it
For overseas visitors, Hainan’s visa-free entry currently covers citizens of 86 countries and regions, so most can travel for the event without a visa, check the current list and entry requirements before you go. If you’re combining the trip with duty-free shopping, our separate FTP shopping guide covers the current allowances and procedures.
Related article: Hainan to Host Eight Marathons in 2026
