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Park located on the east and north side of Oahu, famous for its view of Mokolii Island (Chinaman’s Hat), and known for its swimming, picnicking, barbeques and camping.
Mokoliʻi (pronounced [mokoˈliʔi]), also known as Chinaman’s Hat, is a basalt islet in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaii. Mokoliʻi is part of Kualoa Regional Park and located 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) offshore of Kualoa Point, Oahu. The 12.5-acre islet was at one time part of a basaltic ridge on Oahu before marine erosion separated it. Mokoliʻi as seen from the shore of Kualoa Beach Park.
Mokoliʻi translates from Hawaiian as “little lizard.” “Moko” is an older form of the word “mo’o” and means “lizard” or dragon-like creature; “li’i” means “small” or “tiny.” According to the Pele epic in Hawaiian mythology, while the goddess Hiʻiaka was traveling to retrieve Pele’s lover, Hi’iaka killed an evil giant lizard at Kuala. Part of its body fell into the bay and became Mokoli’i: the island is the tip of the tail sticking out of the water. The closest land on the main island is Hakipu’u, which bears the broken spine of the lizard, with “haki” meaning to break or broken and “Pu’u” meaning the hill or back.