In parallel with its dynamic economic growth, social and cultural development in Hainan Province has made great strides since the island's inception as a special economic zone two decades ago.

Education was underdeveloped before Hainan reached provincial status, a time when it was plagued by insufficient funds and resources.

After inauguration of the new province in 1988, its government designated education as a priority and immediately increased spending.

The province has expanded the system of higher education while improving facilities and infrastructure in primary and middle schools, in addition to promoting professional education.

It is the first province in the country to offer free education for the nine years of compulsory education.

It had 108,100 students enrolled in universities at the end of 2007, an increase of more than 10-fold from 1987.

Almost all - 99.8 percent - of school-aged children were enrolled by the end of 2007.

Medical care and culture

Like education, medical care on the tropical island has improved greatly over the past two decades.

The rural healthcare system now covers all villages and townships in the province, a status reached two years ahead of a central government deadline, with 91.3 percent of farmers now participating.

Hainan now has 2,319 hospitals or clinics spreading across the island staffed by 32,600 professionals, up 16.6 percent from 1987.

Cultural activities are also taking center stage in the multi-ethnic province.

A number of public facilities such as libraries, fitness centers and entertainment complexes were opened in recent years in cities.

The province has also moved to build cultural and sports facilities in counties and villages where such amenities are inadequate.

The investment in education has paid off, illustrated by provincial advances in science and technology in recent years. Before Hainan was designated a special economic zone, there were few if any scientific and technological institutions.

Sea changes in the past two decades for the young province resulted in 148 major science and technological achievements last year - 20 times that of 1987. It applied for 564 patents in 2007, of which 265 were granted.

The island is now home to State-level science and innovation centers. The provincial government's science budget reached 1.6 billion yuan last year.

(China Daily May 4, 2008)