The rise of Bo'ao town

By Huang Yiming (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2015-05-12 17:14

Bo'ao town in 2001

A street of Bo'ao town in 2001

On March 26, 2015, the Boao Forum for Asia 2015 annual meeting formally opened and the Town of Bo'ao once again came to the world's attention. Heads of state, political and business elites, experts and scholars gathered here to exchange ideas on and discuss about economic, social, environmental and other related issues. Boao in Hainan, as the permanent headquarters of the Boao Forum for Asia, played a very important role in the forum.

A myriad of tall buildings in the Town of Bo'ao today

It has been 14 years since Bo'ao Town in Qionghai City, Hainan, was officially announced as the venue for the Boao Forum for Asia in 2001. Thanks to the forum, this seemingly isolated paradisical town has slowly come alive, and developed from a small fishing village to a small city with myriad tall buildings today. Now, there are stores with a dazzling array of goods on the street, and a full range of services like restaurants, banks, supermarkets, hotels and neighborhoods. Tourists are everywhere on the street, which is definitely something to be proud of for a small town.