A Week in Hainan - Sanya and Wuzhizhou Island

After a night in the village, I made my way to Sanya (三亚) where my cousin lives and works. When I was in Hainan in 2008, I was only able to meet him for a dinner and during this trip, I was eager to spend more time with him.

My cousin is a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official. Passionate about the island on which he grew up, he was happy to bring me around Sanya.

Sanya is a beautiful coastal city; its tropical climate and 23km long beach draws millions of tourists to its shores annually.

During the 4 days spent in Sanya, my cousin drove me around the city and took me to Wuzhizhou Island (蜈支洲岛). Being a great seafood lover, most of our time was spent at various seafood restaurants.

Sanya is vastly different from the rest of China. Its main industry is tourism and thus, the government of Hainan has taken great care to ensure that the island's beauty is unspoiled. Unlike the rest of China where gasoline scooters are common, in Hainan electric scooters rule the road. On certain stretches of road, streetlights are wind and solar powered and trash bins as well as recycling bins are everywhere. Shiny new buildings dot the landscape - condos, luxury hotels and resorts compete for attention. Billboards advertise for luxury villas - some come with its own golf course, others with a seaview and some even has its own hot spring on the property. Despite the fact that Sanya Bay is fringed with hotels, the government has given the green light for more luxury hotels (seven-star hotels!) to be built along Haitang Bay (28 km from Sanya).

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Enroute to Sanya - Passing by Qionghai (Construction, construction, construction)

One of Qionghai's luxury condo development

In Sanya - driving past the Miss World Pavilion

The Sheraton's (Yalong Bay) Infinity Pool

Waiting to board the boat to Wuzhizhou Island - behind me is the construction at Haitang Bay where the seven-star hotels are being built

At Wuzhizhou Island where diving, snorkeling, yachting and private luxury villas for rent is available.

Get PADI certified on Wuzhizhou Island - international standards are strictly upheld as the government aims to transform Hainan Island into a top international tourism spot

Wuzhizhou's gorgeous coastline

Wuzhizhou's gorgeous coastline (II)

No wonder Sanya's tourism slogan is "Forever Tropical Paradise"

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Sanya is reminiscent of Dubai during its frantic construction phase. Everywhere you turn, cranes and bulldozers can be seen. My relatives in the countryside speak in wonder and awe of the high property prices on the island. They see these skyscrapers but know that they will never be able to set foot into them. The income they earn as farmers and factory workers means they can only gaze upon the glittering lights. The investments pouring into Hainan have been met with disgust, envy and awe. There is nothing 'socialist' in Sanya that I can see. When in the hotel elevator I hear businessmen discussing their next big business deal, I hear members of the Chinese upper class discuss the vacation home they plan to buy on the island. In the midst of all of this, I cannot help but recall a conversation I had with my cousin's wife whilst in the countryside. She worries about inflation and the rise in the cost of living. Her father-in-law (my uncle) worries about losing his job in the factory (Hainan plans to shut down all factories to preserve the island's natural beauty) - he is not well-educated and thus does not know what he can do to supplement the family's farming income.

The same island, two very different scenarios. I wonder what my grandfather thinks of Hainan's development. He returns annually to the island to relive his boyhood days and is perfectly content to sit in the courtyard of his ancestral home and enjoy the breeze. As far as I know, he does not venture into the city, preferring the tranquility of the countryside over the urban boom and bustle. Maybe in a decade or so, Sanya will transform into a Miami. The signs are already there. How desirable is that, I leave it up to you to decide.