Photo: Boao beach © Sharon King Hoge
The capital island of China’s smallest, southernmost province, Hainan has set its sights on becoming a “worldwide first-class island resort.” Dozens of major global resorts are located on its white-sand beaches. One big attraction for more than a decade is the annual Boao Forum for Asia, a sort of Far Eastern Davos World Economic Forum where leaders come to share their views on pressing issues of the region. Delegates from Armenia and Austria, the Netherlands and Nepal, Uganda and Zambia were among those gathered this year to discuss economic, social and environmental concerns — and to enjoy the locale. Whether or not there are meetings to attend, Boao is a charming destination with white-sand beaches, sunny sidewalk cafés and a main street lined with picturesque colonial buildings.