Treasure island with a twist

Three Chinese girls from Wuhan are spending a year working at this immaculate new resort in the Maldives. [Photo by Matt Hodges/China Daily]

Maamigili translates from a local dialect of Dhivehi as "big island cabbage", but that didn't deter ancient kings from using it as their private playground. Tourists seem unfazed that the Maldivian word for islands is "dives". Clearly, they're not.

This tiny teardrop is Treasure Island with a twist: The pets play nice, the natives are friendly, and the 'gold' – recently excavated Qing Dynasty porcelain and other artifacts -- is buried in the resort’s lobby museum. The 40-odd Chinese relics add a new dimension to its impressive 300-piece collection.

Don't worry, the pirates all left centuries ago. With China pressing to recreate former maritime links in the region, they are unlikely to return anytime soon.

President Xi Jinping met his Maldivian counterpart, Yameen Abdul Gayoom, last September during a weeklong swing through South Asia to map out a blueprint for the revival of an ancient shipping route from China to Europe via Africa.

First raised by Xi in October 2013, it eyes closer trade links among China's Asian partners.

"I believe strongly that the time is ripe for the ancient Silk Route to be born again," Ali Hameed, a former vice-minister of the Maldives, was quoted as saying early last summer. The Maldives agreed to the proposal in December, Xinhua reported.

China has already invested in several high-profile infrastructure programs in the country, including an upgrade of its international airport, construction of a bridge linking Male to a nearby island, and housing and road projects. Bilateral trade was expected to top $100 million last year.