Hainan Island is a beautiful and fascinating place to work, live, or visit. To say I like Hainan Island is the understatement of the year. I absolutely adore Hainan. So when I was invited to the 2021 Hainan media tour, I’ll be honest, I got a little giddy. Although the tour has been hosted many times over the years, this year’s media tour was a special event commemorating the first anniversary of the release of the the master plan of the Hainan Free Trade Port. It was also the first time overseas communication officers and international journalists were invited to participate in the tour. The 7-day media tour kicked off with a grand opening ceremony in Haikou’s picturesque Evergreen Park. Editors, reporters, and photographers from more than 50 influential online and print media organizations flew in from all over the country to attend the tour. For me, the highlight of the opening ceremony had to be the spectacular drone light show. More than 500 synchronized drones lit up the sky that night.

Hainan is world renowned for its stunning landscapes and believe me the tour did not disappoint. On the week-long tour, we visited quite a few of Hainan’s most idyllic landscapes. We went to Wuzhi Mountain, Riyue Bay, the tropical forests of Qiongzhong, and the pristine beaches of Sanya, to name a few.

Hainan is a gorgeous tropical island. That’s a fact. But did you know that these past few years, Hainan has been transforming into a world-class free trade port? We had the opportunity to see firsthand all the rapid developments taking place here on the island. One area that really impressed me was the Jiangdong New Area, an enormous swath of land east of central Haikou. The Jiangdong New Area is dedicated to creating and developing various key industries such as international business & commerce, science & education innovation cooperatives, airport trade & economy, ecological tourism service, and international educational institutions. In addition, they are working to develop a consulate area and an international shopping and high-quality goods exhibition center. 

I could write volumes on all the exciting people I met and all the warmhearted cultural interactions I had. Hainan’s culture is remarkably rich and vibrant; let's let the photos do the talking. Welcome to Hainan everyone.