The Boao Aquapolis situates on the eastern coast of Hainan Island, China. Right in the center of Asia Pacific Economic Circle at the conjunction of East and Southeast Asia. Hainan Island is the only tropical island in China, incredibly covered with lush greeneries and rich in appealing tropical fruits. To top it all, the island is graced with very agreeable climate. 

The Boao Aquapolis occupies a total area of 41.8 square kilometers, composed of three islands: Dongyu Island, Yuanyang Island and Shapo Island as well as three zigzagging rivers that are: Wanquan River, Jiuqu River and Longgun River. And it is situated by the South China Sea. All these features combined made Boao an attractive destination.

Dongyu Island is a center island of Boao, and the permanent venue for Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), where the magnificent BFA International Convention Center, prestigious Sofitel Boao and BFA ICC Golf Club are located.

Airlines

Hainan has two international airports -- Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Both are designed and established in line with the international standards of "4E" (capable of running Boeing 747) with over 100 domestic and international routes available.

Highway

Hainan has established a modern Island-ringed highway of 650 km plus, boasting the province of most dense highway network in China. The Aquapolis is easily accessible through three exits of the highway.

l Eastern Highway Ringing Hainan Island

Distance between Boao and Haikou is 104 km; and 188 km between Boao and Sanya.

l Times by Vehicles

1.1 hours drive from Haikou Meilan International Airport; whilst 1.5 hours from Sanya Phoenix International Airport.

BFA Int'l Conference Center 

The BFA annual conference 2004 is to be held on Apr. 24 and 25 at the BFA International Conference Center.

The center is located at the northeast corner of the Dongyu Island of Boao, a rising coastal town in south China's island province of Hainan and permanent site for the BFA annual conference.

The International Conference Center consists of a round conference center, attached hotels and a scenic area. Construction began in March 2002 and was completed at a cost of 2 billion yuan (about US$240 million) within one year.

The three-storey round conference center has various facilities for holding conventions, exhibitions, news briefings and conducting business activities. It has a total floor space of 37,000 square meters.

As the main venue for BFA, the round conference center is fully computerized and able to provide simultaneous interpretation in seven languages.

Sofitel, a hotel attached to the conference center, has a floor space of 53,000 square meters and 439 guest rooms.

The Legend of Boao

Long ago in Chinese legend, the youngest daughter of the Dragon King -- Ao Qin of the South China Sea, gave birth to a son named Ao. Although its birth was accompanied by a splendid chance for prosperity, Ao looked strange with a dragon's head, tortoise's back and kylin's tail.

This strange looking creature made the Dragon King angry and he wanted Ao and his mother to leave the island. The King blocked their return to the South China Sea by laying his jade belt across the entrance. This belt turned into the Jade Belt Beach that lies in front of Sofitel Boao today.

Having failed to persuade her farther the Dragon King to accept Ao, the heartbroken daughter dragon changed herself into a mountain now called Longtan Ridge. Shocked at the loss of his mother, Ao was so angry that he busied himself by causing great hardship to the people living on Boao.

Hearing the news, the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, came to the island and after 72 battles subdued Ao, and transformed him into a dragon. Ao's original body, a turtle with a dragon's head, then became Dongyu Island, the site of Sofitel Boao. Aerial photographs of the island show it is shaped like a turtle. While it sounds like a tale from Middle Earth, whether true or not Boao is a remarkable yet sleepy corner of Hainan.

The monk of Tang Dynasty, Huai Ren said, "Who subdued Ao became a Saint, who obtained Ao became a wise man."

(The BFA Secretariat, April 19, 2004)