Opportunities knock for locals
Economic boom means youngsters are not restricted to farming and fishing, writes Sascha Matuszak
Sanya's society has undergone some interesting changes since the city's economic miracle began more than a decade ago. Many locals have taken advantage of their improved circumstances and moved away from basic farming and fishing activities into other business lines.
At the same time, farmers inland have thrived as restaurants and hotels create a large and growing demand for fresh local produce.
The wealth generated by tourism and ancillary industries has given rise to new opportunities. Emerging schools, such as the Canadian International School on Serenity Coast, offer windows into a world past generations could only dream of. Trade schools draw in young people, train them, then place them in hotels, tourism facilities and fast-paced retail properties such as the Duty Free Shop and stores along the Sanya Beach walking lanes.
Cui Yuemei, 20, was born and raised in Sanya and now works on Wuzhizhou Island as a tour guide. She went to trade school in Sanya and recently returned from a trip to Guangzhou where she received further training. Her colleagues have spent time in Shanghai and Beijing.
"Right now I am still learning, I still go to school," she says. "I might go to Guangzhou or perhaps Hangzhou to work, but I want to stay here in Sanya. There are more than enough jobs here, I just need more qualifications."
She is just a short step away from working at an international chain such as Marriott or Ritz-Carlton. An opportunity like that can lead to placings globally, and salaries beyond her wildest dreams. Cui's children, if and when she decides to have them, will be accustomed to a lifestyle her parents could never imagine. On a smaller scale, trinket hawkers and barbecue stands along the beaches have an effect most tourists can only guess at. What was once a fishing village sustaining itself day-to-day with the catch can now finally take its first steps into the modern economy.
