Hainan: Scenery, sea, sand - and shopping

Russian tourists visit a duty-free shopping mall in Sanya. [Photo by Huang Yiming/China Daily]

South China's Hainan province is alluring tourists from around the world through its picturesque landscape, modern shopping malls and varied folk cultures.

Last year, 33.2 million tourists visited the province, up 10.6 percent from 2012.

In 2010 the provincial government's plan to build an "international tourist island" was approved by the State Council, marking tourism as a key strategic sector for the island.

The plan aims to make Hainan a first-class global tourist destination by 2020.

The province is already a renowned destination in China for its many attractions in Sanya, Haikou and other cities.

Yalong Bay in the southeast of Sanya is especially popular among tourists. Its annual average air temperature is 25.5 C, while water in the half-moon shaped bay is 22 C. Sixteen of the city's 40 five-star hotels are around the bay area.

Nearby are other famous attractions - the Butterfly Valley, the Rose Valley and the Tropical Paradise Forest Park.

The tropical forest park is the city's first and is famed for its fresh, clean air. Renowned movie producer and director Feng Xiaogang used the Nest Vacation Village inside the park as the setting for the blockbuster If You Are the One in 2010, further increasing the park's popularity.