Sanya learns how to be eco-friendly

As tourism expands, residents start new businesses to serve a wave of visitors

The clear water, soft sand and extensive coral beds around Sanya Bay's West Islet are a natural tourist attraction, buoyed by fishing, sailing and diving that capitalize on a richly diverse undersea world.

Not long ago, though, construction, pollution, trawling fishermen and a dependence on sales of coral handicrafts endangered the coastline ecology of Hainan province and the island community's livelihood.