Forum brings new opportunities to the town of Boao

World
Europe

By CGTN’s Zou Yun, Bao Hongwei

The Boao Forum for Asia takes its name from the coastal township of Boao, located in China's southern province of Hainan. Hosting the forum for many years, what changes has the small town seen in the past 16 years? And how are the lives of local people being impacted?

For the longest time, fishing and farming were a central feature of the local's lives. But now things are changing. A booming tourism industry, stirred by the rise of the forum, is bringing local residents new opportunities.

CGTN’s Zou Yun talks to Wang Ping, owner of a local restaurant./ CGTN Photo

Wang Ping is a Boao native, and, for generations, he and his family worked on the fields, cultivating rice and raising pigs. A few years after the forum was founded, however, he was one of the first group in the village to sense the growing business opportunities. He was quick to seize them.

"First, I opened a small food stand on the street in 2003. There I sold barbecue and noodles. The growing number of tourists helped my business grow and make more money. I then opened a small restaurant in a bamboo house in 2008... and three years after that... I opened an even bigger one. Now, nearly 200 people can eat here at the same time."

Inspired by the swarm of tourists, Wang Ping said it's not only villagers of his generation that have made the switch from a farming-dominated life to something new. Young people are also choosing to stay closer to come.

Wang Ping said that young people don't have to go elsewhere as migrant workers, as there are many companies making investments and doing projects in Boao. They can now easily find a job in the service or construction industry.

One of the main streets in Boao. /CGTN Photo

The growing economy has not only encouraged local residents to shift their lifestyles but also fascinated people from afar, and Lin Li is one of them.

She’s originally from the island of Taiwan, but the rising reputation of Boao attracted her to come here. For her it's not just the business opportunities that have brought her here, but the town’s unique beauty and tranquility, which have convinced her to stay.

She's opened a cafe by the seaside, where visitors can have a cup of authentic black coffee. Lin said the best thing about Boao is that it has offered her not only a job but also a life.

"To be honest, compared with big cities, you will never make big money in Boao. But I still see the potential for growth here. More importantly, I think Boao is the place where you can perfectly combine work with life,” she grins.

Seaside view in Boao. /CGTN Photo

Thanks to the forum, this seemingly isolated and undeveloped town has now shined its charms. It welcomes around 8,000 tourists on a daily basis, and over three million each year.

Lin Li said that many changes have taken place in the past few years, but the valuable parts has remain unchanged.

"I really love the native people here, they are very kind, and throughout all these years, their honesty and simplicity haven't changed a bit,” Lin explains.

While Boao has changed from an obscure fishing village to a famous tourism town, the Boao Forum for Asia has also developed not only to promote economic integration among Asian countries, but also to have an impact on local people’s lives. And perhaps this is what the forum is truly about - making changes and possibilities and providing opportunities for people across Asia.

2376km