Hainan:Where Hawaii meets Dubai

By Charles Kelley

两种截然不同的面貌，会让人觉得三亚正是夏威夷和迪拜的结合。

Hainan,China—The dancing begins almost as soon as the sun sets on Sanya,in southern Hainan.

Dozens of locals—some in costume,some without—set up in the wide paved areas beneath the palm trees,along the famous long white shoreline of Sanya Bay.

Then,to the beat of an electronic boombox or traditional Chinese performers holding drums and cymbals,the synchronized movements begin.

Watching the dancing as the waves break on the shore,on a balmy summer evening,it’s easy to see why Hainan,an island and the southern-most province in China,has long been known in advertising campaigns as the “Hawaii of China”.

But only a few hundred meters down Sanya Bay,a different side of Hainan is glittering and glowing in the growing dark.

On a newly reclaimed island on one edge of the bay,the imposing towers of Phoenix Island are projecting a light show.

It’s just one of a growing number of extravagant Hainan resorts and hotels，each trying to out do each other in novelty and grandeur.

Wei Kailei,dean of the College of Tourism at Hainan University,tells CNN the island is a “world-class attraction.”

中国，海南——在海南的三亚，舞蹈在黄昏日暮中开始了。

几十名当地人——有些穿着舞衣，有的没有——在沿着三亚湾著名长白海岸线的棕榈树下的宽阔柏油路上聚集。

然后，伴随着电子音响或传统中国鼓锣演奏者的节拍，整齐的动作开始了。

在一个温柔的夏夜，看着海浪在岸边涌动，很容易就能感受到为什么海南，作为一个岛屿以及中国最南部的省份，在广告宣传活动中被称为“中国的夏威夷”。

但在距离三亚湾只有几百米远的海岸下，海南的另外一种面貌在黑暗中流光溢彩。

梅宏图接下来的话，令现场气氛一下子活跃起来：在给大家的文档袋中，还有一份我们的形象宣传软文，欢迎大家在各自的媒体上刊发，我们会根据媒体的影响力，分别支付一定数额的形象宣传费用。拜托诸位！拜托诸位！说着，双手抱拳，冲嘉宾席一个劲儿直拱手。

在海湾边上的一个人造岛屿上，凤凰岛上几座壮观的建筑塔正投射着一场灯光秀。

这只是越来越多的豪华海南度假村或酒店的其中之一，每一个都试图在新奇和宏伟上与对方争奇斗艳。

海南大学旅游学院院长魏凯磊告诉CNN，这个岛是一个“世界级的景点”。

他说:“这是一个众所周知的集休闲、度假和长寿于一体的岛屿。”“与饱受雾霾困扰的中国其他地方相比，海南蔚蓝的天空和纯净的水弥足珍贵。”

“It is well known as an island of leisure， vacation and longevity,” he says, “The blue sky and pure water in Hainan are even more precious,contrasted with the rest of the nation plagued by smog.”

Increasingly,rather than Hawaii,parts of Hainan bring to mind the unashamed extravagance of Dubai,the wealthy United Arab Emirates city state that once built a man-made island in the shape of a map of the world.

The huge,curved towers of Phoenix Island catch the eye the moment you walk down to Sanya Bay.

The futuristic hotel has changed the skyline of Sanya Bay dramatically.Connected to the city by a long bridge,which only guests can cross,the artificial island gives off the air of outrageous opulence.

In the lead up to the launch of Phoenix Island,it was even described in promotional literature as the “Oriental Dubai”.

Back in Sanya Bay,the sun is beginning to set again and locals on dozens of motorbikes are pulling up to the shoreline to watch the imminent entertainment.

Some women and men,dressed in full costume,are performing a traditional square dance or guangchang wu.

This contradiction,a combination of Hawaii and Dubai,appears here to stay—for now at least.

海南一些地区越来越多地让人联想到迪拜糜烂的奢华。迪拜是阿联酋的一个富裕国家，曾在世界地图的版图中增加了一座人造岛屿。

当你走下三亚湾的那一刻，凤凰岛巨大的弧形建筑塔吸引了你的目光。

这家未来主义化的酒店显著地改变了三亚湾的天际线。将这座人工岛与这座城市相连的长桥只允许宾客通过，这座人造岛散发出令人发指的奢华气氛。

在向凤凰岛出发前，它甚至被描述为“东方迪拜”。

回到三亚湾，黄昏再次降临，几十辆骑行摩托车的当地人正赶向海岸线观看即将到来的娱乐活动。

一些身着盛装的男女，正在跳着传统的广场舞。

这种矛盾，至少在现在，会让人觉得这座城市像是夏威夷和迪拜的结合。