Rich splash out on new status symbol
By Wang Chao ( China Daily )
Updated: 2010-08-23
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A vessel looks for moorage on Monday in the busy Qingdao Olympic Marina in East China's Shandong province, which is home to more than 300 yachts. Cui Meng / China Daily
QINGDAO, Shandong - Yacht owners in China tend to keep a low profile, both to conceal their wealth and protect their privacy.
"A yacht is like a mobile home: You don't want to invite crowds to visit your home, right?" said Dong Yongquan, president of the Qingdao International Yacht Club, which has been operating the Qingdao Olympic Marina since the end of the 2008 Olympic sailing events.
A security door gives access to a floating dock where hundreds of yachts bob in the water and tanned sailors, many wearing blue and white shirts, mill about.
Once in a while, club members equipped with diving gear jump into the water.
"The celebrities are very concerned about their personal lives," Dong said, adding that T-shirts and bikinis are the owners' favorite attire when they are out on the water.
If a stranger or a tourist tries to get too close, security guards perk up and, if necessary, ask them to leave.
