Suchresident-visitorsarereferredtoas“holidaymigrants,”mostofwhomareretirees.
EndlessSpring
At6:30a.m.,WangFengsheng,wearingashort-sleevedshirt,strollsacrossthebridgeovertheLinchunRivertobeginhismorningexerciseinEgretPark.At65,WanghasspentthreewintersinarowinSanya.Whileheenjoysthepleasantmorninginthepark,hishometown4,000kilometersawayinnortheasternChinaisfrozensolidatminus20degreesCelsius.
Manynortheasternerswhoonceonlydreamtoflivingontheseashorenowenjoyiteverywinter.
EgretPark,intheolddistrictofSanya,isoneofthemostpopulargatheringplacesforthe“migrantelderly.”Asnightfalls,theydanceyangge(afolkdancepopularinnorthernChina)inthesmallsquareonLinchunRoadontheothersideofthepark.Mostofthedancershailfromthenortheast.
Ms.Yang,anativeofJiamusi,HeilongjiangProvince,hasspentfivewintersthere.“I’vebeensufferingfromtracheitis,”sheexplains.“Icoughedalotduringthebitternortheasternwintersandspentalotofmoneyseeingdoctors.ThecoughneverhappenswhenIamhere.”
The“migrantbirds”phenomenonhasenhancedthelocaleconomytremendously.VehicleswithplatesfromalloverthecountrycanbefoundalmosteverywhereinSanya.SomedrugstoresadvertisethattheyaccepthealthinsurancefromHeilongjiangProvince.
StatisticsfromtheAgingOfficeoftheHainanProvincialGovernmentshowthatduringthepeakseasoninwinter,some450,000migrantseniorsrushtotheprovincetorelax,preservetheirhealthandspendtheirretirementinthewarmenvironment.
ZhangShuquanjustspenthisfourthwinterinSanya.“InChangchun(theprovincialseatofJilin),Ispendabout4,000yuaneverywinterjustonheating,”heillustrates.“Themonthlyrenthereis1,000yuan.IsimplyreallocatedmyheatingmoneytofourmonthsofhousinginSanya.Everythingelsehereisaffordableaswell.MywifeandIonlyspendabout1,000yuanamonthonfoodanddailynecessities,whichisaboutthesameasChangchun.”
PracticingTaichiatthebeachearlyinthemorning.CFP
Alittleband.EgretParkinSanyaisawonderfulplacefortheelderly“migrantbirds”towhileawaytheirsparetime,singingorplayingpokerandothergames.CFPRisingRealEstate
Someseniorsrenthousesorapartmentsspecificallydesignedfortheelderly,andothersbuyhomes.
Mr.Zhao,a67-year-oldretiredengineerfromBeijing,boughtahouseinBaotingCounty,justoutsideofSanya,soheandhiswifecouldescapeBeijing’swinterhaze.HewasheadingbacktoSanyaafteraquicktriptoBeijing.“Iwentbacktopickupmygrandson,”Zhaogrinned.“Iwanthimtostaywithusforthewinter.”
Mr.Zhaoisnotanindividualcase.Thegreatinfluxofthe“migrantbirds”hasundoubtedlycausedabumpinrealestatepricesinSanyaandneighboringtowns.“Duringthisyear’sSpringFestival(China’sbiggestholiday),manypeoplefromBeijingcametoseekaffordablehousing,”revealsarealestateagent.“Iactuallysoldoutofinventory.Overthelastfewyears,Sanya’sneighbors,includingBaoting,Lingshui,andDongfang,haveseenthrivingrealestatemarkets.”
ThisSpringFestival,manyoutsidersmadespecialvisitstoHainantobuyhouses.Mr.SunfromBeijing,forinstance,boughta2-bedroomcondominiumwithfloorspaceof90squaremetersatQingshuiBay,adjacenttoSanya.“RealestateissocheapherecomparedtoBeijing,wherethestandardpriceisabout100,000yuanpersquaremeter,”hesighs.However,Sun,whowasborninthe1980s,boughtthehouseforhisparents.Overthelastfewyears,Sanyahasseenanunendingboominrealestate,andSunexpectshisinvestmenttoonlyincreaseinvalue.
MissChen,alocaltaxidriver,saidthatalmosthalfofthehousesinherneighborhoodofJinling(GoldenRange)wereboughtbyseniorsfromthenorth.Whenwinterarrives,thecommunitybecomesbustlingasmanymigrantseniorsmovein.Theelderlysitinthesunandplaypokerordootheractivitiesallwinter.But,withthearrivalofApril,everythingquietsdownandmanyshopsareclosed.
Chessisafavoriteamongtheelderly“migrantbirds”inSanya.CFPCrowdedParadise
InJanuary2010,theStateCouncilissuedOpinionsonAcceleratingtheDevelopmentoftheConstructionofHainanInternationalTouristIsland,officiallyliftingthecampaigntomakeHainananinternationaltouristhubintoastrategyofnationalimportance.Accordingtheplan,by2020,Hainanwillhavebecomeaworld-classholidayresort.
Theimplementationofanoffshoreduty-freepolicyhasmadeSanyaashoppingparadise.EverySpringFestivalholiday,theinternationaldutyfreeshoppingcenteratHaitangBaywelcomesthousandsofshoppers.Itistheworld’slargestdutyfreestore,withfloorspaceofover70,000squaremeters.Manyretailvendorsoffamousinternationalbrandsfrequentlyenjoylinesoutoftheirdoors.
Winteristhepeakseasonfortheinfluxofseniors,andtheyplaceconsiderablestrainonHainan’sinfrastructure.Particularly,duringtheSpringFestival,trafficbecomesworse,hotelroomsarehardtocomebyandparkingisapain.
Furthermore,medicalservicesandpublichealthresourcesbecomeexpensiveinwinterduetosurgingdemand.Asawhole,Hainanstilllagsbehindotherprovincesinmedicalservicefacilities.Onlyafewmedium-sizedmedicalinstitutionscanbefoundinSanya,andthegrowingwinterpopulationtendstorequiremorefrequentmedicalcare.Needlesstosay,it’smoredifficultandexpensivetoseeadoctorduringwinterinHainan.
IncontrastwithotherpopularwintergetawaydestinationssuchasHawaiiandPhuketIsland,Hainanisplaguedbya“squeezedwinter”causedbytheseasonalmigration.Manyworld-famousfive-starhotelssitemptymostoftheyearbutcannotmeetdemandduringwinter.
AmajortaskforHainanisconstructingthenecessaryfacilitiestomeettheseasonalhousingandmedicalservicesdemandsoftheseniordemographic,whichinturnwillhelpmaketheislandaninternationalholidaydestination.