| Bo'ao |
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With pristine streams, rivers, lakes and seashore, the Bo'oa Area
of Hainan Island is an enticing holiday wonderland of waterways, water-sports
and water-borne fun. The area is also home to a prestigious regional
forum and is acclaimed for its hot spring resorts, world-class hotels
and tournament-quality golf course all set in the natural beauty of
mountains and coconut forests.
It is in these unparalleled surroundings that authorities have
established the Bo'ao Asia Forum as a meeting place for dignitaries
from around the region to discuss issues related to the development
of Asia. The first meeting of the Bo'ao Asia Forum was held in November
2000. The area is also the site of the five-star Bo'ao Golden Coast
Hot Spring Hotel and the superb Bo'ao Golf Country Club.
The Bo'ao Area is intersected by the Eastern Expressway and is
about an hour's drive south of Haikou and about two hour's from
Sanya in the south. The county's main city, Qionghai, has a population
of about 43,000 and offers visitors a wide assortment of accommodations,
restaurants and shopping.
- Baishi Ridge Scenic Zone
Picturesque Baishi Ridge Scenic Zone comprises a hilly area 12
km southwest of Qionghai City characterised by fascinating rock
formations, intriguing caves and a natural forest. The ridge stands
atop a 1,000-step stairway leading up from the area's floor. Of
special note are White Stone Hill, featuring a large white egg-shaped
rock formation partly sandwiched between two other formations, and
Wind-screaming Cave, the entrance to which produces a chilling "scream"
when struck by the wind.
- Bo'ao Scenic Zone
Enchanting Bo'ao Scenic Zone encompasses clear waterways and numerous
sandbanks, islands and beaches at the point where the Wanquan River
empties into the South China Sea. With its beauty and natural features
remarkably well preserved, the 42 sq km area provides visitors with
excellent facilities for swimming, boating, hiking and other recreational
activities.
- Guantang Hot Spring
Healing Guantang Hot Spring has long been a favourite destination
for people from all walks of life seeking to benefit from the medicinal
properties of natural mineral waters rising up from deep within
the earth. Located about eight km southwest of Jiaji Town in Qionghai
City, the hot spring has become the site of four luxury resorts
offering visitors accommodation and dining facilities in addition
to sauna and massage services to complement the geothermal waters.
Water temperatures at Guantang Hot Spring range between 70o C and
90o C. Daily water flow is about 10,000 tones.
- Qionghai City
Set against the natural beauty of the mountains, waterways and
coconut forests of the Bo'ao area, Qionghai is the leading city
of the county and a main centre for business, commerce, accommodation,
dining and sightseeing. Qionghai has an area of about 1,700 sq km,
a population of about 43,000 and is strategically situated on the
Wanquan River. The city is intersected by a major highway and is
a short distance from the Eastern Expressway. Qionghai is about
an hour's drive south from the international airport at Haikou.
- Statue of the Red Detachment of Women
A granite monument to China's first revolutionary army unit of
women, the Statue of the Red Detachment of Women is located in a
public garden in Jiaji Town in Qionghai City. The statue stands
6.8 m high and features a female soldier in the uniform of the red
army. The figure carries a rifle and bamboo hat, wears grass shoes
and is bandaged around her leg. The army unit was known for its
bravery in battle and continues to be cited as an example of honour
and dedication.
- Wanquan River
A national treasure of infinite beauty, the Wanquan River, at 163
km in length, is one of the three largest rivers on Hainan Island.
The source of the Wanquan is the brooks and streams running down
from the Wuzhi Mountains ensuring the waters remain clear and fresh
for sportsmen and naturalists. The river was dammed in the mid-1970s
and the resulting upper stream lake has become a popular destination
in its own right. The Wanquan is a wide, gentle river with a gravel
bed.
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