This Day, That Year

Editor’s Note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

On April 13, 1988, the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, gave Hainan island provincial status and announced it had been designated a special economic zone, as seen in the item from April 20, 1988, in China Daily (right).

Since then, Hainan has become a magnet for investment and has developed a large tourist infrastructure.

The province’s GDP reached nearly 4.5 trillion yuan ($716.6 billion) last year, about 78 times of the level in 1987, according to local authorities.

With the rapid economic development and good climate, Hainan has proved itself an excellent host for major events after a series of high-profile activities.

The first Boao Forum was held there in 2001 and the 18th edition just concluded on Wednesday.

The city also served as the venue for the third BRICS Leaders Summit in 2011.

While attracting global attention, the island has been making great progress toward its goal of becoming a worldclass tourist destination.

It has set a target to receive more than 1.3 million overseas tourists in 2020.

The number of overseas tourists to the province exceeded 1.1 million last year, up nearly 50 percent yearon-year, according to statistics from local authorities.