Southern refuge

A mix of clean air and warm weather has northerners flocking to Hainan

Locals in Sanya half-jokingly say their city belongs to northeastern China's Heilongjiang province now, as masses of northern residents flock here to enjoy sunshine and clean air.

It was not high season or the holidays. Yet, children could be spotted and crying babies could be heard on the plane I took from Beijing to Hainan province. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that they were families traveling for fun.