"It's so beautiful here, it is an enchanting town," Li Li, a
tourist from Beijing, commented, as he stood in Boao , a small town
in South China's island province of Hainan.
Li was among the numerous tourists enjoying the sun, fresh air,
beaches, sea and the abundance of golf courses.
Boao , once a town of 15,000 residents relying on fishing and
farming to make a living, has turned into a world-famous conference
venue after an Asian-oriented forum on economic development
selected it as the permanent venue in 2000.
"The tranquil fishing port used to be recognized only by local
people, now it attracts the world elite," said Xu Zhenhuan, 77, a
retired lighthouse keeper who safeguarded Boao for half a
century.
Xu is very proud of the equipment he used in the lighthouse in
the 1990s, but the town has become more and more digitalized in
recent years to serve the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) and throngs of
visitors both from home and abroad.
Flocks of tourists were busy taking photos in different scenic
spots of Boao on Thursday, especially the site of BFA, as the place
will be filled with some 1,300 political, business and cultural
celebrities and journalists on Friday when the forum kicks off its
three-day annual meeting.
BFA, a platform for the exchange of views among top leaders of
government and businesses, has played a key role in enabling
decision makers to have in-depth discussions and an understanding
of the most critical issues of the region.
More than 400 domestic and international conferences and
exhibitions have been held here since 2000, said Wang Huiya,
secretary of Boao 's committee of the Communist Party of China.
Nearly 20 projects, including some with foreign sponsors, have
been launched over the past four years, involving some 300 million
yuan (US$37.5 million), thanks to Boao 's growing prestige,
according to Wang.
The forum has also changed the lifestyles of local residents, as
many rural labors are running restaurants and hotels or seeking job
opportunities in urban areas, hosting an average of 5,000 tourists
every day.
More people from other regions across China have also settled
here to operate tourist and service businesses, pushing the
population in the town to 30,000.
"Boao is destined for a bright future," Wang said.
Xu Dafu, son of Xu, chose to be a lighthouse keeper like his
father.
"I want to keep an eye on the rapid changes in Boao and navigate
for world visitors," said Dafu.
(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2006)
