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Home , Haikou, Qionghai, Sun and Moon Bay, Wanning

12 special Monday, August 31, 2015 DAILY Island promotes small-town sojourns

What they say

“Hainan Island is as good as more fa- mous resorts in Southeast Asia. I think Hainan is even better when talking about certain tourism resources. There are direct air links with Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Russia, as well as , and , and other plac- es. We also have convenient inbound procedures with a visa-free policy covering 26 countries.” Chen Tiejun, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Commission of Tourism Development

“Shishan town of has unique tourism resources featuring a culture based on the volcano. We will promote Shishan town and Haikou city tour- ism resources through the Internet, to achieve a leap forward in develop- ment.” Shi Xiangrong, chief planner with the Haikou Commission of Tourism The Dongzhaigang Forest Reserve, in Haikou, Hainan province, is one of the province’s scenic highlights and the country’s largest mongrove forest Development reserve. LONG QUAN / FOR CHINA DAILY “ boasts simple folk customs he tropical island Hainan and good public order. These are the Along with its aims to be a top international tourism destination by 2020. two basic elements to develop village beach appeal, T One of the ways it intends to tourism. Tourists will naturally come do this is by popularizing the natural Hainan has charms of the small towns and villages if the local residents enjoy happy lives. scattered across the island. Qionghai is fi rst of all the happy home During the Ming and Qing Dynas- another side ties (1368-1911), many Chinese ven- of local residents and then a resort for tourists from tured into Southeast Asian countries home and abroad.” to its charm such as Malaysia, the Philippines and to make a living. When they Yang Fen, director of the Qionghai Commission of Tourism Development that it wants returned from their travels in Nanyang, as the region was known, they sought “ has profound tourism re- to show to to recreate elements of the lifestyles and culture they had encountered. Today, sources, including the blue ocean, the small towns in ’s Hain- green tropical rain forest and colorful the world, as an province still bear traces of their Cycling through ’s rural areas is a popular way to enjoy the leisure destination. sojourns. CHEN LIHUA / FOR CHINA DAILY culture. Xinglong of Wanning, is called Su Zhou and In Zhongyuan in Qionghai city, resi- dents live in qilou, or arcade houses, “the small United Nations” because it Huang Yi- enjoying their afternoons drinking cof- “Developing tourism in the villages towns and villages. Zhongyuan, Bo’ao boasts many Southeast Asia elements. fee, eating snacks and chatting with and towns can help the residents make and Tanmen were included on the list; Riyue Bay, or the , is one of the ming reports. friends. After a comprehensive upgrade a living without leaving their homes and two Hainan villages known for in 2013, the town, full of Nanyang ele- and boost the quality of life in their their ethic cultures were also selected. best places for surfi ng in China. It attracts a lot of ments, has become a popular attraction hometowns at the same time,” he said. Hainan province is home to many for visitors from across the country. “This should be one of the most ethnic groups, with the Li and Miao overseas visitors in the winter.” Wu Jieguang who runs a Traditional important focuses for the development people particularly prominent on the Chen Hongyue, director of the Wanning Tourism Bureau Chinese Medicine clinic in Zhongyuan of Hainan’s tourism industry in the next island. The Li were the earliest settlers town has experienced the changes fi rst- decade,” he added. of Hainan, with their first-recorded hand. A town whose name is known around appearance on the island traced back “Sanya, as a coastal city, has abundant “Before, the majority of my clients the world is Bo’ao, which is home to the 3,000 years ago. coastal tourism resources. In recent were local residents in Qionghai. Now I permanent headquarters of the Boao The distinctive Li and Miao villages have clients from Northeast China, who Forum for Asia. Since 2001, the small have been described as untouched par- years, the cruise and yacht industry has are here on vacation,” said Wu. fi shing village has slowly come alive adises by tourists. enjoyed rapid growth in Sanya. A new According to the overall plan for and developed into a small city. Wang Yanyong, director of the the province’s village-themed tourism Despite that, it’s the natural scen- Tourism Development and Planning cruise terminal will be established in industry from 2014 to 2020, Hainan ery of Meiya Country Park and Meiya Research Center of Jiaotong will develop its villages as tourism des- coastal bar park that are the village’s University, said beautiful villages are 2016 to accommodate cruise ships up tinations and produce souvenirs and main attractions. the mainstay of a beautiful China. to 225,000 metric tons. We have more than 2,000 related products related to the villages’ Another town that has benefited “The beauty of small towns and vil- distinct characteristics. from its location is Tanmen. lages is that they remind many people berths for yachts and 50 fi ve-star hotels. Sanya of- It is predicted that towns and villages In the last two years, the fi shing port of where they grew up,” said Wang. fers rich and varied tourism services, including low- in Hainan will receive 8 million visitors, of Tanmen, located on the eastern part “Visiting these places allows city resi- and the indirect income they generate of the island, attracted 4,000 visitors a dents to revisit their childhoods.” altitude helicopter sightseeing tours, ship cruises as will be more than 2.5 billion yuan ($390 day on average, and more than 10,000 “This national style can have global well as a broad variety of land-based entertainment million) by 2016. during the weekends, with its fresh appeal, if these towns and villages focus Wang Xiaokun, director of the Hain- seafood and well-known shell crafts. on their own unique characters,” added facilities.” an village-themed tourism association, Recently, the China National Tour- Wang. Zhou Chunhua, director of the Sanya Commission of Tourism said Hainan should not just focus on its ism Administration and the Ministry Development appeal as an island holiday destination of Housing and Urban-Rural Develop- Contact the writers through when developing its tourism industry. ment released a list of 337 model tourist @chinadaily.com.cn First lady brings fame to Beireng Retreat to

By HUANG YIMING delicious and reporters called it ‘Madame [email protected] CoJ ee’. It sells very well,” says the café’s owner a village in Wang Qiuxiang. Beireng village in Qionghai city, Hainan Wang worked in , province, attracts many visitors due to its province, for 17 years, but quit her job to open the clouds picturesque views, rural lifestyle and sur- the cafe with an investment of 500,000 yuan rounding scenic spots such as the Guantang ($78,030). Hot Spring. In May 2014, the Qionghai city government By HUANG YIMING Only eight kilometers from the city cen- started to rebuild Beireng village as a tour- [email protected] ter, the village won overnight fame when ism attraction and invited experts to do the Peng Liyuan, President Xi Jinping’s wife, designs. There are cycling routes, farmstays, Located at an altitude of more than and the wives of some foreign leaders visited cafes and a bookstore that make visitors’ 600 meters, Shihan village nestles among in March. experiences more colorful. clouds on a mountain in Qiongzhong coun- Peng invited the first ladies who had The village’s new look has inspired villag- ty, in the central part of Hainan province. accompanied their husbands to the Boao ers such as Wang to return to start their own With its natural scenery and ethnic cul- Forum for Asia to tour the village and enjoy businesses, and she believes her success can tures, it is the perfect getaway from the coJ ee and local snacks at the Thatch Cafe. be an example for other residents. stresses and strains of city life. “Madame Peng said the coJ ee I made was In the village, 36 households are now oper- The village has more than 300 ethnic Shihan village in Qiongzhong, with its natural scenery and ethnic cultures, is the perfect ating businesses related to tourism, with 122 Miao and 200 ethnic Li. It used to be the getaway from the stresses of city life. HUANG YIMING / CHINA DAILY people working in tourism-related industries most impoverished village in the county such as dining, bike rentals and souvenir due to inconvenient transport, remote sales. Last year, the number of visits to the location and a backward economy. escape the summer heat as it is cool at Wang Guomin, who owns a homestay village was 220,000 and the net per capita However, since 2009, thanks to fi nancial night due to its altitude. in the village, said he hosted about 100 income was 25,500 yuan. support from the provincial and county The village receives about 200 visitors a visitors during the Spring Festival, and According to the village’s Party branch sec- governments, the village has taken on an day and villager Li Zhengfu said, “Some- made more than 5,000 yuan in one day retary Li Zhaoliang, 80 percent of the villag- entire new look, with the repairing of dilap- times there are not su0 cient beds for visi- from meals. ers have a stake in rural tourism programs. idated houses and construction of public tors.” Travelers can enjoy authentic Miao and As they can start their own businesses at facilities such as a square, inns, fi shing area In all, the village offers 15 homestay Li delicacies, including wild vegetables and home to make money, they don’t want to go and barbecue area. rooms, with prices ranging from 80 bamboo shoots fresh from the mountain, to big cities to be migrant workers anymore. Nowadays, the residents live in new ($12.50) to 100 yuan per day, and two inns along with rice wine. He said they can not only earn a monthly houses and have extra rooms they can use with 70 beds in total, with rooms priced It’s also an ideal location to enjoy perfor- Beireng village in Qionghai has gained salary of 1,700 yuan by working at a farmstay, as homestays. between 80 and 198 yuan per day. Visitors mances of dancing, embroidery, archery popularity since fi rst lady Peng Liyuan visited in they can also sell homegrown vegetables and Although many rooms have no air con- can also camp in the open air for 50 yuan and other skills of the Miao and Li ethnic March. HUANG YIMING / CHINA DAILY homebred chickens to the business. ditioners, the village is an ideal place to per night. minorities.