Hainan set to tap potential of cultural tourism wave

Two expos display the island's desire to attract domestic and foreign tourists

The 2015 Hainan Culture Industry Expo and the First Cross-Straits (Hainan) Cultural Arts Expo were held in Haikou, Hainan province, from March 13 to 16.

The expos, the largest of their kind to be hosted by the island province, will boost the development of the province's culture industry and help build a trading platform for cultural products, said Dong Junxin, vice-president of the China International Culture Exchange Center.

The expos were jointly hosted by the China International Culture Association; the Hainan Department of Culture, Radio, Television, Publication and Sports; the Hainan Taiwan Affairs Office; the Hainan Federation of Literary and Art Circles; and the Haikou city government. More than 60,000 visitors attended the three-day event and sales of cultural products totaled 10 million yuan ($1.6 million).

About 160 exhibitors from China, Vietnam, Pakistan and India showcased their products. The items displayed at the expo included calligraphy, photos, ceramics, paintings, wood products, sculpture and jewelry.

The expo epitomized the rapid development of Hainan's culture industry and is expected to provide support for the province's drive to become an international tourist destination, Hainan Daily reported.

Hainan has issued a range of policies and regulations in the past few years to promote its cultural development. Featuring a combination of unique local and fashionable culture, the industry has forged its own path of development.

In November 2013, the province issued a guideline on selecting and naming cultural parks and bases to promote the systematic development of its culture industry.

The provincial government invested a total of 400 million yuan to reform the industry in 2013 and 2014.

Several scenic zones in the province, including the national 5A Yanuoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, the Tianyahaijiao Scenic Area and the Dazhipo Dramatists' Center, were listed as national model bases for the cultural industry.

Culture is the soul of tourism, said Luo Baoming, Party chief of Hainan, after he inspected the Haikou-based Mission Hills Movie Town in June. "Without culture, the tourism industry loses its quality and competitiveness," he said.

The Mission Hills Movie Town, a film-themed tourism joint venture by director Feng Xiaogang and film production company Huayi Brothers, features movie-themed sightseeing and shopping facilities.

The theme park covers an area of 90 hectares and boasts three main streets with replicas of scenes from Feng's classic works. The annual Hainan Carnival, which features ethnic dance, local opera and dining, has been held 15 times. More than 100,000 people attended the three-day event in Haikou in December last year. The carnival has become a symbol of the province's integrated development of the cultural industry and tourism.

In September 2013, the Qianguqing Scenic Zone in Sanya launched an opera themed on Hainan elements, including folk legends, the ancient Maritime Silk Road and the Li ethnic culture, winning wide acclaim. During the Spring Festival holiday this year, the number of tourists visiting the scenic zone increased by 12.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Contact the writers at huangyiming @chinadaily.com.cn and dongjidong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/26/2015 page12)