CCTV9英语新闻：China boosts man-made tropical island construction

China will soon boost its own man-made tropical resort in Hainan, marina and property development to rival the famous Palms.

 

Construction of the 'Shining Pearl' artificial island is nearly complete. And when development is finally finished, it’s expected to attract more than two and a half million visitors annually. 

 

The Pearl is rising from the depths, near Hainan's capital Haikou - CCTV’s Tadek Markowski has gone along to check on its progress. 

 

Currently only accessible by boat 'Mingzhu' or 'Shining Pearl' is a mammoth land reclamation project in China’s tropical south.

 

It's doesn't look like much now, but local authorities and the developers hope this will be the jewel in the crown of the country’s seaside tourism drive.

 

It's the brainchild of property and aviation conglomerate HNA, which released this flashy promotional video that shows the island’s proposed attractions.

 

The to-do list includes a deep-water port to accommodate cruise liners, international standard sports stadium, motor racing circuit, world class entertainment and dining venues with resort style living for up to 15,000 permanent residents.

 

It's an uber-island that’s meant to sink the competition.

 

Engineers behind this mega-build say their island has one important edge over rivals, the ancient Chinese tradition of Taichi.

 

The flashy atoll is designed to resemble the famous 'Ying Yang' symbol that represents balance, in this case the goal was to find equilibrium with nature.

 

And a lot of rocks needed to go into the making of the Shining Pearl. Hainan straddles the path taken by typhoons in the South China Sea, standing-up to the damaging wind and waves was a massive consideration in its construction. 

 

Completion of the island’s foundation is mere months away, the equivalent to nearly 300 football fields of ocean front real estate.

 

The conspicuous attractions and gleaming high rises will be built over several phases, and, in case you were wondering, an indoor ski slope is likely to be among them.