English crucial to Hainan island's tourism plans

The Chinese know it, and so do the Russians, but Hainan is a mystery to most of my friends.

On a recent visit to my Australian homeland, I told everyone I was moving to Hainan to study Chinese. I e-mailed a mate in London, and spoke to an aunty in Florida, too, and everybody asked: "Hi, where?"

But I told them they'll soon know. When I reached Hainan's sandy shores for the first time last year, the tourism potential was ripe as a coconut and ready to be picked.