Photographer captures great changes in Yalong Bay

Fifty-year-old photographer Sun Qing was born and raised in Sanya, a coastal city in Hainan province. Through his camera, Sun has captured tremendous changes in his hometown of Yalong Bay, which has developed from a small fishing village to an international tourist resort today. 

"Traffic conditions here were poor. There was only one winding dirt road. To reach the bay, I had to ride my motorcycle through woods and muddy paths, and it took me at least five hours to enter the bay area from downtown Sanya," said Sun. 

At that time, Yalong Bay was merely a remote fishing village. "It's hard to believe that this place has become a popular holiday resort within just a few decades," he said. 

Yalong Bay National Resort was established after receiving the approval of the State Council in 1992. It became one of the first national tourist resorts in China. Since then, dramatic changes have taken place. Numerous planning, design, and construction teams flocked in, injecting great vitality to the beach. 

The opening of China's first five-star resort in Yalong Bay is a milestone in its tourism development. It was in 1996 when the tourism in Hainan caught the eyes of the whole world. The rapid advancement of Yalong Bay attracted many famous hotels, such as Starwood, Hilton, and Marriott, who all rushed to establish branches here. With the hotels taking the lead, the economy of Yalong Bay has surged and Sanya has gradually become a charming holiday resort. 

For Sun, it is a brand-new experience to photograph in Yalong Bay. "Boulevards have taken the place of the dirt roads," he says. "It takes me only an hour to reach the bay from downtown." He has also upgraded his equipment from a film camera to a DSLR camera. Now, the Yalong Bay in his photos are much more beautiful, colorful, and fascinating.