Grand New Century Resort in Hainan, China to Feature SurfStream
6/15/2015 at 11:41PM
By Jane Ho, Forbes Contributor
New Century Tourism Group, China’s biggest non-state operator of four-stars-or-above hotels owned by Chen Miaolin, schedules to open its Qizibay Grand New Century Resort on the coast of Hainan, one of South China’s most frequented holiday destinations, this October.
The 5-star resort has 600 rooms and 1,500 dining seats, and also houses a water park including a 20-meter-long, 7-meter-wide surfing pool that can create 1-meter-tall waves – the first one in China and Southeast Asia to have installed a deep water standing wave machine.
“Unlike other forms of wave machines using 30-year old technology, a deep water standing wave machine provides an authentic surfing experience outside of the ocean, with revolutionary technology that lets surfers use real surfboards with fins,” says Robert Reynolds, COO of the equipment’s supplier and the world’s leading wave technology company American Wave Machines in the U.S.
“Our technology creates waves that provide a longer ride than in even the largest wave pools on the planet at a fraction of the size and cost,” adds Reynolds.
The Resort’s general manager Jin Taizhi points out it is safer and easier to surf in a pool than in the ocean. He says: “A novice surfer can have the same fun without having to go though stringent training programs.”
The Resort will also host festivals of the local Li and Hui ethnic groups. “Chinese tourists are looking for more variety in the way they spend their vacations,” Jin avers, “And with this we can provide them with elements of a backpacker’s experience.”
