On the 24th, I find the traditional culture village of the Li and Miao ethnic groups in Baoting, Hainan, China. Traditional houses are built on stilts in the tropical forest. /Courtesy of Lee Eun-young, correspondent

At the southern tip of China, if you go down from Shenzhen and Hong Kong, you will find Hainan, a tropical island facing Vietnam and the sea. Thanks to its favorable natural environment, Hainan is also called 'China's Hawaii.'

Most Korean tourists consider Sanya, with its endless seas, white sandy beaches, large resorts, and golf courses, as the representative tourist destination of Hainan. Near Sanya, there is a resort area surrounded by lush tropical forests. That is Baoting. Similar to Ubud in Indonesia, known for its marine tourism, which is 'the village of yoga and meditation,' Baoting in Hainan is also such a place.

◇ Forest bathing, meditation, massage… Finding inner tranquility at Senyudao

The tropical forest trekking trail at Xenyidao in Baoting County. Dense tropical bamboo surrounds the lake. Baoting County showcases tourism programs that emphasize the protection of primeval forests and healing and recreation in nature. /Courtesy of Lee Eun-young, correspondent

On the morning of the 25th at 8 a.m. (local time), I visited the representative complex resort 'Senyudao.' The sea scent I had from the airport the day before faded, and the scent of the forest was strong. Walking along the deck path through the primeval trees, vines, and herbs in the tropical forest, I was drenched in sweat within a few minutes but felt healed by the fresh air that the forest emitted.

As I rode the electric vehicle to tour the interior of the resort, I noticed various leisure facilities. There were deck paths for leisurely walks, a large meditation center and massage rooms where one could meditate and drink tea under the guidance of experts, and a tea ceremony space. Given that the resort has a jade theme, it also houses the world's first jade museum.

The meditation program is taking place at the Xenyidao Meditation Center. On this day, the meditation program lasts about 30 minutes and includes sampling herbal tea. /Courtesy of Lee Eun-young, correspondent

Senyudao was completed after 12 years of development. It is a national AAAA-grade cultural tourist destination that offers leisure tourism content encompassing trekking, yoga, and regional traditional medicine, alongside a hotel with 150 guest rooms. The Hainan Lingfeng Neuroscience Center has established a rehabilitation center here, providing quasi-medical services targeting mild ailments such as anxiety, insomnia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Although it is counted as one of the top resorts in the region, the accommodation fee starts at a minimum of 888 yuan (about 170,000 won) per night, which is cheaper than domestic prices.

According to Senyudao, the site attracts about 200,000 tourists annually, generating approximately 30 million yuan (about 5.7 billion won) in tourism revenue and positioning itself as a center for leisure tourism and ecological experiences in central Hainan.

◇ Traditional cultural village, protecting cultural heritage and increasing income 'killing two birds with one stone'

Another representative tourist destination in Baoting is the local ethnic minority traditional cultural village. The official name of Baoting is 'Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County.' The Li (黎族) and Miao (苗族) ethnic minorities have long settled here. It is now operated as a directly governed county of Hainan Province.

In the traditional culture village of Binglanggu, a Li elderly woman weaves fabric on a loom. Next to her, fabric made by traditional methods is hanging. /Courtesy of Lee Eun-young, correspondent

The Li and Miao traditional cultural village is located within a nature reserve bordering Baoting and Sanya. It preserves the customs and culture of ethnic minorities based on the tropical rainforest ecosystem, allowing tourists to experience it. The site has been rated as an AAAAA-grade scenic area by the Chinese government.

Entering the traditional cultural village, I took a mini electric bus up the mountain roads and saw thatched houses built on stilts in the tropical rainforest. On the floors of the houses, elderly people covered in colorful traditional clothing and wearing metal accessories covering their upper bodies were weaving intricate patterned fabrics on looms. When they saw tourists, they raised their thumbs and greeted with 'Bolang,' which means 'hello' in the Li language. Some of them are said to be residents living in this traditional village.

On the 24th, I find the traditional culture village of the Li and Miao ethnic groups in Binglanggu. Visitors can experience traditional houses and culture. /Courtesy of Lee Eun-young, correspondent
The process of spinning thread in the traditional way of the Li people. The tattoos on the body are one of the traditions of the Li people, where girls over 10 years old have black lines and patterns tattooed on their faces and bodies. This tradition signifies reverence for totem beliefs and indicates that they have reached marriageable age. Now, it only remains among the elderly aged 70 to 90. /Courtesy of Lee Eun-young, correspondent

Inside the village, you could see scenes of weaving threads from cotton and dyeing the hand-spun threads in various colors. The traditional spinning techniques of the Li and Miao people showcased here were also added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2024. In addition to the fabric-making process, there were performances of weaving baskets, creating pottery while singing work songs, and playing traditional flutes with bamboo and through the nose.

In addition to this, Baoting has other tourist attractions such as the Qixianling tropical rainforest and hot springs. All of these are based on natural resources and Li and Miao cultures. The tourism industry in Baoting also contributes to the employment and income generation of ethnic minorities. According to Senyudao, it hires more than 300 people directly and indirectly each year and utilizes the regional supply chain to create an annual economic effect of approximately 20 million yuan (about 3.8 billion won).

Pan Wanzhen, deputy director of the Baoting County Tourism and Cultural Bureau, noted, 'Last year, Baoting attracted a total of 3,693,000 tourists, and the total tourism consumption amounted to 2.23 billion yuan (about 421.9 billion won),' adding, 'Our goal is to build a model that integrates health care and cultural experiences into tourism.'