In Partnership WithDepartment of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province
Why visitors don’t want to leave holiday haven of Hainan – the ‘Hawaii of China’
In Partnership WithDepartment of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province
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- Tropical resort destination in South China Sea, which offers more than 60 world-class beaches, is popular with families, surfers and snorkellers
- Riyue Bay – increasingly popular ahead of surfing’s debut as Olympic medal sport at 2020 Tokyo Games – is home to China’s national surfing team
Five years ago holidaymaker Zhang Wei came to China’s tropical resort of Hainan, a South China Sea province formed of a number of islands – and he is still there.
“I still don’t have plans to leave,” says Zhang, originally from the Chinese city of Fuzhou in Fujian province, who works as a surfing coach at the island’s Shaka Surf Club in Riyue Bay, Wanning City.
I snorkel at least once a week. The coral reefs here are very close to the shore … I think they are on a par with some of the most popular snorkelling destinations in Thailand
He spent 11 years as a successful professional skateboarder – winning many competitions, including the VANS Dragon SK8 event in Shanghai, and 2011 China X Games Open, in Xiamen – before a knee injury forced his retirement.
5 great family-friendly holiday attractions on Chinese tropical island of Hainan
“I then found an office job, but I hated it,” he says. “Then I travelled to Bali and learned surfing: skateboard has its roots in surfing.”