Hainan Golfing

By Albert (Age 12.5, Canadian International School)

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

In Hainan there have been numerous projects to improve the economy and make Hainan a tourist destination. The biggest projects are all related to golf and golf resorts are springing up all over Hainan. I think that this will have a lot of impact on the environment and it will do more harm than good. The development of Hainan should be controlled so the impact on the environment will be minimal.

The first reason this is a bad idea is that it will destroy the environment. 300 endangered species will be affected and some of them will probably go extinct if the development plans are not controlled. Forests, mountains, and even volcanoes will be destroyed. This will destroy the natural beauty of Hainan and it will result in the loss of jobs. It will also force thousands of people to move because the golf course has taken up a lot of space.

This project is also a waste of money. In the article it said that China wants to turn Hainan into China's Hawaii in a relatively short period of time. The Hawaiian islands did not become what they are right now in only 10 years. In fact the Hawaiian islands are a great tourist spot because it took a long time to develop it to sustain the natural beauty. If the Chinese think that Hainan is going to be like Hawaii in 10 years, it will result in Hainan being heavily polluted and no one will want to go there.

A better way to develop Hainan would be to limit the amount of resorts and development plans going on at once. Although it might result in a lot of controversy over who gets to build on the island, this will ultimately help Hainan to become a tourist destination.

On the other hand, the numerous development projects will heavily improve the economy and increase jobs. Some companies like tourist groups and companies that sell sports equipment will probably benefit, but it is better to develop Hainan safely to make it better.

Overall, I think that the Chinese should have patience about development and control the development of Hainan if they want to turn it into a huge tourist destination.