Increasingly smoggy conditions that swathe the country's cities in haze are making people more worried about their health and the environment.

In the southernmost of China, one province is offering visitors a breath of fresh air and is setting an example for other regional governments.

The island province of Hainan is being developed in a sustainable way with emphasis on the environment and ecology.

The local government said it would rather have slower growth if the environment could be better protected.

But one sector - the tourism industry - has seen fast growth in recent years.

The province welcomed 33.2 million tourists to its shores last year, an increase of 10.6 percent from 2012.

In 2010 the provincial government's plan to build an "international tourist island" was approved by the State Council, marking out tourism as a key strategic sector for the island.

The plan aims to make Hainan a first-class global tourist destination by 2020.

Tourism is seen as the "most environmentally friendly industry" by the provincial government.

Nicknamed "Hawaii of the Far East" Hainan boasts tropical beaches, lush forests, blue waters, clean air, picturesque villages and a relaxed lifestyle.

According to local statistics, nearly 62 percent of land is covered by forest. The island has 11 forest parks where people can relax and enjoy nature.

Yalong Bay Forest Park in the coastal city of Sanya is the most popular among tourists.

Renowned movie producer and director Feng Xiaogang used the site as the setting for the blockbuster If You Are the One in 2010, further increasing its popularity.

Hannele Fors, a photographer from Finland, came to Sanya to take photos of the area's swaying trees and bright blue waters last year.

"It's a fantasyland," she said during a trip to Yalong Bay Park.

Model province

Hainan has been a model province in ecology and environment since 1999.

In 2011, the local government started the "greener island" initiative, which has seen 86,700 hectares of new forest planted in the past three years.

In Haikou, the province's capital and biggest city, 41.5 percent of the urban area is covered in greenery.

The second largest city, Sanya, has set a target of 48 percent of green land coverage by 2020.

The "green path" initiative adopted by cities including Haikou, Wenchang, Anding and Qionghai combines Hainan's environmental slant and relaxed way of life.

In Hainan green paths, which are shaded by trees and connect urban areas with parks, villages and beaches, are designated for cyclists and pedestrians only.

The island's green paths have a total length of 200 km, half of which are in Haikou.

"After a busy day of work, cycling slowly through the clean air toward the nature is really the most amazing thing," said Liu Shuling, a Haikou resident who uses the green paths.

The paths also offer tourists the perfect way to get around, see the sights and enjoy the island's slower pace of life.

Eco-villages

An eco-village initiative, which the local government started in 2000, was aimed to improve Hainan's rural environment for agriculture and tourism development.

Hainan now has 14,000 eco-villages with modernized agriculture that account for 60 percent of villages on the island.

Kirmo Wilen, a Finnish photographer, came to Haikou five years ago.

He lived in Xinhui village, near the city's mangrove reserve area, and recorded life in the community through his camera lens.

"I remember the first time I was here, I didn't see anything on the village coast," he said.

"But things changed. Now it's my 15th time here, and the mangroves have covered the coast here, village people are getting to know that it is important for protecting the environment," he added.

The government of Hainan has also put emphasis on developing environmentally friendly and carbon-efficient industries.

As well as the backbone industry of tourism, high-tech and new energy are two sectors that hold great potential for the next few years in Hainan, according to the provincial government.

Contact the writers at liuxiaoli@chinadaily.com.cn

A group of photographers from Finland visited Hainan, hoping to record local life through their camera lenses. Huang Yiming / China Daily

(China Daily 04/09/2014 page12)