Greenpeace Asia says rainforests in Hainan have been disappearing at the alarming rate of about 200,000 square metres every day over the last decade due to illegal logging and the growth of new plantations. That's led to a precipitous decline in the natural habitat of the Hainan Gibbon, and the situation is so bad now that there are just 23 of them left in the wild. more ›

The shiny shitter is currently on display at the 11th World Toilet Summit and Expo that began yesterday in the Hainan provincial capital of Haikou. more ›

Speech by H.E. Hu Jintao President of the People's Republic of China At Opening Plenary of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2011 Boao, 15 April 2011 more ›

Photos by Jeremy Breningstall. more ›

• Superiority complexes aside, being a vegan in China will do you no good. No sooner than the dust settles on the melamine milk scandal, "tons" of Hainan Island legumes have tested positive for isocarbohos, a "highly-toxic" pesticide. Sanya's government defends the contamination by explaining they value tourism over agriculture. [The New York Times]
• The latest spin from Beijing? Housing prices will "stabilize" this year after their "fast rise" last year. Can we say "euphemism"? [WSJ China Real Time Report]
• RE: Google, the U.S. is considering taking China to the WTO. The good news? The WTO has deemed the sentiment worthy! The better news? If China refuses, the U.S. may come out and name Chinese officials and individuals suspected of cyber-espionage.[Business Week]

Surf's up in Hainan! For those of you surfing aficionados still wondering where to escape to from the cold winter, look no further and sign up for the Surfing Hainan 2009 Open now. The inaugural annual competition is set to take place January 10-11 next year on Hainan's east coast, which according to Brendan Sheridan, owner of Surfing Hainan, the Chinese surf company that is organising the competition, is "one of the last easily accessed tropical destinations in the world that still has virtually empty surf". more ›

Reuters reports:

China's southern resort island of Hainan has confirmed 30 cholera cases and nearly 300 suspected cases in the last few days, the provincial government said on Friday. more ›

You won't have to go to Dubai to enjoy seven-star luxury anymore as the world's second seven star hotel — and China's first — is going to be built in Sanya, Hainan. Construction of the 120m high hotel will begin later this year and will be completed by 2011 to be managed under the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brand. Shanghai Daily tells us more:

Located in the center of Haitang Bay in Sanya City, the hotel will spread over 150 square kilometers and include a luxury yacht club, a golf course and the biggest ocean park in Asia. more ›

Great debate is now raging on the Chinese internet about the appearance of a nude beach in Sanya and whether it should be acceptable or not. In this video, the reporter found a dozen middle-aged men in a deserted part of the Dadonghai Bay tanning in the sun (don't ask us why they were in such awkward poses at the start of the clip!). They don't seem to be bothered by the fact that just a few dozen metres away, regular tourists and families are doing their thing. Tourists and residents interviewed by the reporter also don't seem to be greatly bothered by the presence of nudists on the beach either as long as they stick to their areas. more ›

China's very first Miss World, Zhang Zilin (张梓琳) was crowned yesterday at the 57th edition of the beauty pageant in Sanya, Hainan. Miss Angola was first runner-up and Miss Mexico was second runner-up. This year's pageant coincided with World AIDS Day and was used by organisers to help raise awareness about the disease. Highlights of the show included a televised speech by former South African president Nelson Mandela, whose son Makgatho died of an AIDS-related... more ›