At the Hainan Automobile Proving Ground in Qionghai on February 28, a reporter for the Henan Daily, Zhang Rui, was taken by surprise as the car she was riding in was put through its paces on high-speed, gravel, and off-road courses: “This was a novel experience for me. We went from 0 to 150 km/h in the blink of an eye, which was exhilarating. Being in the passenger seat gives you a much better idea of how vehicle reliability and durability are tested.”

Chinese and foreign journalists view an exhibition at the Hainan Automobile Proving Ground in Qionghai.

That day, Chinese and foreign journalists participating in the China Travelogue: Hainan FTP Experience for Global Journalists event were treated to an immersive investigation like no other on their visit to China’s only comprehensive humid sub-tropical automobile test site—Hainan Automobile Proving Ground.

One of the world’s three main sites for testing vehicles in tropical conditions, the Hainan Auto Proving Ground’s facilities cover six key evaluation areas, including weather resistance, reliability, and accelerated corrosion testing. Hainan’s high-temperature, high-humidity conditions and the battery of complex road conditions on site simulate extreme environments, ideal for testing vehicle stability and performance.

Chinese and foreign journalists view an exhibition at the Hainan Automobile Proving Ground in Qionghai.

The media delegation eagerly boarded test vehicles before heading into the proving ground, where they were jostled along variously surfaced roads and thrown back into their seats as the cars accelerated along the banked high-speed track.

Fu Shihong, from China Daily, was taken aback by the unique and novel experience: “You don’t get to experience this anywhere else, especially the sharp bank angles on the high-speed track. Yes, I’ve played racing games where you can drive this type of course from behind a screen, but it’s no replacement for the very real Gs the vehicle pulled on the track just now!”

Chinese and foreign journalists handle tropical fruits at the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Qionghai.

After the journalists received their thrilling dose of fast and furious, they came to the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Dalu Town, Qionghai, to feed their curiosity for the weird, wonderful, and often rare.

In this “museum,” they got to see, touch, and taste a cornucopia of fascinating tropical fruits from around the world—pepino melon, sapodilla, and black sapote from South and Central America, finger lime from Australia, pitless olives, and much more besides.“What’s this? It has a grape-like texture.” “It’s jaboticaba, otherwise known as the ‘tree grape.’”“This is my first time trying finger lime. The little pods pop in the mouth like a refreshing fruit ‘caviar’!”

Chinese and foreign journalists handle tropical fruits at the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Qionghai.

As the media delegation got hands-on with the fruits, they took photos and videos, all the while asking staff about their growth characteristics and other details. Lee Hee-mi, from South Korea’s Hankook Ilbo, stated—as she snapped and sampled the fruit— that out of all the fruits she tried, she liked the pepino melon, yellow pitaya, and guava the best: “They’re just bursting with tropical flavor!”

Fruits at the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Qionghai.

“I love the tropical climate here in Hainan. There’s plenty of fruit, sea, and relaxing vibes,” she continued. Despite it being her first visit to Hainan, she said that she would like to live on the island after she retires.

What impressed Lee the most about her trip to Hainan, however, was the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone: “The medical devices are so advanced, and the service and environment are both excellent; it’s bound to become a core competitive advantage for Hainan.”

Fruits at the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Qionghai.

Marcelo Ninio, from Brazil’s O Globo, gave Gongdaofan—Hainan’s ritualized take on potluck—a “very good!” and was equally impressed by the array of tropical fruit available at the Window of World Tropical Fruits. He bought some jaboticaba, finger limes, and pitless olives to take home.

Chinese and foreign journalists eat Gongdaofan, an assorted platter of different foods originating from the need to pool resources during Hainan’s poorer years, at the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Qionghai.

During their four-day tour, the China Travelogue media delegation of foreign and Chinese journalists had the opportunity to experience the Hainan Free Trade Port by visiting various sites in Haikou, Danzhou, and Qionghai.

The trip left a particularly deep impression on Volodymyr Sydorenko from Ukraine’s Ukrinform, who was visiting Hainan for the first time: “The Qilou Historical and Cultural Quarter, cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Hainan Automobile Proving Ground, and, of course, Hainan’s gorgeous, green environment—the whole experience was amazing!”

“And the people here are so friendly, warm, and welcoming. Thank you, Hainan!” he added.

As their exploration of China’s tropical island province came to an end, many of the journalists voiced the same wishful farewell: “See you next time, Hainan!”