Sun, sand and surf but no outside barbecues as ‘China’s Hawaii’ bans open-fire cookouts
Hainan already has the cleanest air in China, but its government says that’s not good enough
A tropical island province in southern China famous for its beaches and balmy weather has banned open-air barbecues to keep its clean air even more so, according to state media.
The provincial government of Hainan province, which touts itself as “China’s Hawaii”, banned the popular pastime under its Air Pollution Control Implementation Plan, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Under the plan, the government will also offer rewards to anyone who reports – among other offences – open-air burning of straw, the barbecuing of betel nuts and vehicles emitting thick smoke.
READ MORE: China considers barbecue ban to combat smog
The plan, published on the Hainan government’s website on Tuesday, is in effect until 2018.
At the end of that period, the island should boast more than 350 days a year of good air quality.
Hainan, located at the southern most end of the country in the South China Sea, is one of the mainland’s most popular tourist destinations, especially in winter when much of the mainland is plunged into frigid weather.
Relatively lightly populated, and surrounded by tropical seas, the island enjoys much better air quality than the rest of the country.
Haikou, the provincial capital, topped China’s air quality chart from 2013 to 2015, according to the national Ministry of Environmental Protection.
