Island highway loop set to boost Hainan tourism

Plans are underway to give Hainan's tourism infrastructure and services a solid boost, with construction of highways and expressways to be started or completed this year, according to local authorities.

Work on one of the major projects, a scenic highway around the island, has been approved to begin in May, aiming to fully integrate local tourism resources as well as enhancing local social and economic development.

The route, called Hainan Highway 1 by local media, will be longer than California's coastal Highway 1 and will provide similar breathing-taking views. One-fifth - or 208 kilometers - will stretch along the sea, and other parts will pass by cliffs, wetlands, dunes, grasslands, farmlands and forests.