HAIKOU, November 11. /TASS/. Hainan's resort city of Haikou will host a large-scale festival for tourists during the New Year celebrations. According to the city authorities, Haikou will become a venue for a number of festivals, concerts, competitions and other events.
The project dubbed New Year at the sea: See you in Haikou was launched on November 1 and will run till February 2020. The so-called marathon will consist of six parts.
The Chinese have always paid great attention to the magic of numbers, and this project is no exception: the number nine has become its key symbol. Nine concerts and festivals will be held, nine sports competitions as well as cultural events. In addition to that, nine special zones with gifts and sales will welcome the tourists this year.
The concerts
The concert program includes performances by renowned virtuoso pianists - Richard Kleiderman and Lahn Lahn, the Strawberry Music Festival 2019, the festival of the Douyin 2019 music show ("Douin 2019"). In addition, Chinese performers will give concerts in Haikou: Hong Kong singer Priscilla Chan (Chen Huixiang), performer and songwriter Hua Hua (Hua Chengyu), Taiwanese star Angela Zhang (Zhang Shaohan) and another Taiwanese performer, winner of many world and Chinese Jay Chow Music Awards (Zhou Zelun).
Angela Zhang will open a series of concerts at Wuyuanhe Stadium as part of her world tour. Rising star of Chinese pop scene Hua Hua will perform a series of three concerts under the name "Mars" from November 15 to 17. Priscilla Chan’s performance will take place on November 23 at Wuyuanhe Stadium. The New Year itself, residents and guests of Haikou will be able to celebrate a large-scale show, which will be conducted by well-known television presenters in the country, including He Jun and Xie Na.
Festivals and discounts
The second and third parts of the festive marathon will include the Hainan Cyber Festival, the Miss China beauty pageant, iQiyi FUN show, Haikou Blue International Electronic Music Festival, as well as Super Bout's fights. The program includes the closing ceremony of the second music festival Silk Maritime Road of the 21st Century, an international pedigree cat competition, parachuting competitions, a balloon festival and other tourist, sports and cultural events.
At least nine tourist sites will welcome guests with discounts and preferential offers — among them the Guanlanhu resort area, the 100 Wonders of the World Amusement Park, Hoshankou Park (Volcano Crater), the Botanical Garden and the Zoo, and Guilin National Park, Jiangdong District Landscaping Park and others. Another pleasant surprise for tourists will be special discounts at duty free at Meilan Airport and Zhiyue Duty Free Center.
Services
The fifth block includes a number of tourism products designed specifically for guests of the island: it includes such areas as food, accommodation, transportation, tours, shopping and entertainment. In addition, in order for citizens and tourists to get to know Haikou better, the sixth block will feature ratings of hundreds of the best goods and services, including restaurants, hotels, attractions, luxury hotel complexes, popular leisure places and much more.
The city authorities already set up a special office, which includes the departments of tourism and culture, commerce, public safety, environmental protection and transport, as well as the road guard service. This body will ensure coordination of the work of various departments and authorities during the holiday tourist marathon.
The 20th Hainan International Carnival kicks off on the island on November 22. It will be held at venues in six cities, including Haikou, Wangning, Danzhou, Lingshui, Sanya and Qionhai. According to the organizers, the main goal of the holiday will be the integration of the entertainment industry, the tourism industry, as well as the sphere of culture and art of Hainan. Provincial authorities say the carnival will help shape the island’s brand and enhance its international appeal.
In total, about 200 events are scheduled within to be held on the sidelines of the carnival, which will wrap up on December 31 with a festive New Year's concert in Haikou.
Tourism on Hainan
In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan.
By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.