We arrived to China's Hainan Island (海南岛) from Shanghai late in the evening in the final week of the month of July. We thought the air there was full. In Hainan it was thicker still and held even more moisture. Our pores stretched wider releasing our sweat to cool us down. Our skin became sticky quickly as the air withdrew every droplet, drying it in a snap with the soothing warm breeze.
Hainan is located hundreds of miles southwest along China's mainland from Macao, separated by a small strait from the province of Guangdong, near to Vietnam and Laos. This is a tropical place.
In 1988 the island became one of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) that guided the country into the open market. National and local Chinese government openly advocate tourism and business development by allowing open foreign investment and enacting visa-free policies for foreigners within the province. By 2020 a bridge is scheduled to be completed effectively linking the island to the mainland. For both vehicle and train traffic, the project will improve the commute between the two provinces to 20 minutes versus a five-hour ferry ride.
We’re here because APP (Asia Pulp and Paper) China invited a few ‘Western’ journalists – Brazilians, Canadians and an American - to visit its forestry division and paper mill in Yangpu where associates operate the world’s largest paper-making machine. The island is rich in natural resources including a variety of trees native to the island's soil and natural gas.
We stayed at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel in Haikou on the northern side of Hainan, which is the island’s most populous city with 2 million people. Sanya on the southern tip is known for tourism, luring foreigners, particularly Russians and Japanese, to the lavish beaches and resorts, golf courses and spas. The entire province is geared towards economic prosperity for the improvement of China.
Straightaway in the morning before our first group outing, I took an adventure around the area, taking in the glistening morning sun as it reflected off the mirrored storied buildings. I walked parallel to the rising sun on my right where I hit Evergreen Park (Wan Lu Yuan) on the coast. The modern terrain was revamped in 1996 for runners, Tai Chi practicers, walkers, bikers, families, lovers and strollers alike to enjoy the green surroundings – with clear aspects signaling the country we’re in. The new high-rise buildings clustered sporadically in silver and gray flower bunches create a fence around the water's edge as if barricading the sea from the city. Yet this is the epitomized contrast of an urban jungle, a haven connecting the city’s habitants to the sea’s.
Mopeds and pedal bikes are abound, but according to The Urban Country bicycle blog, cars have taken over immensely in the last couple of years. In my route back to the hotel I noticed a woman wearing what looked like oven mitts on her hands as she drove her moped. It took me a minute to figure out why she’d choose such a design – the men on mopeds around her didn’t have such gloves. Then I realized after taking a closer look at her modern helmet with a tinted plastic face guard, that the gloves serve to protect her skin from darkening in the sun. Light skin is all the rage in Asia; and has been for centuries. The day was special for me. I was celebrating a birthday by exploring Eucalyptus tree plantations interspersed amongst pepper and pineapple crops in an up-and-coming Chinese province - with new acquaintances that would become friends. Talk about Life'Sauce. After our mini-bus excursion over deep potted dirt roads through remote, rural villages (it was very cool! I'll write more about it soon.), we exited the air conditioned vehicle, salty from the day's heat, near the ferry terminal back in the big city. Our eyes lit up from the setting sun decending the curve of the earth.
The Century Bridge links the island to a smaller Haidian Island. Its white cables formed a web in the pink and blue tie-dyed sky.
What a celebration! It consisted of a lovely cake, a Canadian teaching the server how to tap a mini keg of Heineken and pour with appropriate head, and a serving of boiled chicken feet that came from a local hot spot known for making really good ones. We sat on the third tier of this outstanding deck overlooking the city and the channel while the night draped over us like a show's close, listening to the 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' Genius playlist from my iPhone. Other songs included Proud Mary, Already Gone, Maria Maria and Paradise City.
As the playlist of Western Rock'N'Roll came to its last song, and we had shared stories of business, adventure, love, concert venues, family and food, we watched a Chinese lantern float through the dark sky above us. Sophy, one of our gracious Chinese hosts, said when you see one of these released on the day of your birthday, it's good luck.
With the next one just around the corner, I have to say, while I love the idea of good luck and good fortune, we are the only keyholder's to our own destiny. It's been a great year - one of growth, experience, seasoning and accomplishment. Now, onto the next phase of Life'Sauce. I'm looking forward to it. A great map
http://www.squidoo.com/Haikou
Official Hainan government website
http://en.hainan.gov.cn/englishgov/Travel/
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