==Tourism==
As Hainan Island is not heavily industrialised,its greenery,together with its beautiful beaches and clean air,make it a popular tourist attraction.The island is accessible through ferry links with Guangdong province,as well as air links.There are two airports,Meilan Airport in Haikou,and Phoenix Airport in Sanya.
In December 2004,the Guangdong-Hainan passenger railway link opened,connecting Guangzhou in Guangdong province on the mainland to Hainan Island.The complete trip,which includes crossing the Qiongzhou Strait by ferry,takes a total of 12 hours.The project cost $583 million US and is expected to greatly enhance Hainan's tourism and economic development.This is important because Hainan currently lags well behind Shenzhen and Zhuhai special economic zones,which border Hong Kong and Macao,respectively.
Hainan Island is often divided into eight regions for tourism purposes:Haikou and area (Haikou,Qiongshan,Ding'an); the Northeast (Wenchang); the Central East Coast (Qionghai,Ding'an); the South East Coast; the South (Sanya); the West Coast (Ledong,Dongfang,Changilang); the North West (Danzhou,Lingao,Chengmai); and the Central Highlands (Baisha,Qiongzhong,and Wuzhishan/Tongzha).
Haikou is the province's capital and contains interesting historic sites.Also known as Coconut City,Haikou is a major port.The Five Official's Temple consists of five traditional temples and halls that were built in honour of five officials of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.These officials were banished to Hainan for periods ranging from 11 days to 11 years for speaking out against what they felt were wrong practices by the Emperors.(It is perhaps significant that the establishment of the Five Officials Temple in the late 19th century coincides with a time when China's territorial integrity was under threat,and that several of the officials honoured here were exiled for espousing aggressive policies on the recapture of the north of China from the Jurchens during the Southern Song dynasty.)
Xiuying Fort Barbette was built in 1891 to defend the southeastern corner of China during the Sino-French War.The Xiuying Fort Barbette covers about a third of an acre.Its five large cannons are still intact and viewable at the site.
Hai Rui Tomb is a key national cultural protection site.Hai Rui was a compassionate and popular official of Hainanese origins who lived during the Ming Dynasty.He was famous for his lifelong honesty and his willingness to speak out on behalf of local people.In later life,Hai Rui was persecuted and fell out of favour with the emperor.His admirers built the Hai Rui Tomb after his death to commemorate his great works.Construction of the tomb began in 1589.
Perhaps the best known tourist attractions of Hainan Island are its world class beaches,luxurious hot springs,and beautiful scenery.With white sand beaches,tranquil green waters and areas of lush vegetation,Hainan has much to offer.Some top scenic sites are Yalong bay National Resort; Dadonghai Tourist Resort; Qizhi Shan (Seven Finger Mountain),Guantang Hot Spring Resort,Shishan Volcanic Garden; Wanquan River,Baishi Ridge Scenic Zone and Baihua Ridge.Visitors should be aware that once they get to Hainan,there is a dearth of tourist information in English (or Mandarin),so finding how to get to the top tourist sites is not always easy.Compounding this is the abundance of inferior tourist attractions that are rapidly springing up to take advantage of the new tourism economy.
China announced in Oct.2007 that it would build its fourth space launch centre,just a week after it fired off its first lunar orbiter.The new launch centre,to be built on the southern island province of Hainan,is scheduled to be completed in 2012 and start operating in 2013.The location of the launch centre in Hainan,a low-latitude region,will displace more than 6,000 residents that will be relocated to make way for the space centre,which will occupy 1,200 hectares.The site will be mainly used for launching various kinds of satellites and large space stations,the plan has been approved by the government.A 407-hectare space themed park will also be constructed near the new launch centre.
Some attractions in Hainan include:
Qiong Opera
Yalong Wan (亚龙湾 Crescent Dragon Bay),Sanya City,southern Hainan:seven-kilometre beach.
The province has initiated a visa-upon-arrival policy for foreign tourist groups from twenty-one countries in 2000,in order to attract visitors.It received 380,000 overseas tourists in 2002.