A conceptual drawing of the "Phoenix Island"
 
As Hainan continues the ambitious development of its luxury artificial Phoenix Island, the world is turning its eyes to the tropical island in the South China Sea.
 
In the last decade the world’s attention has focused on Dubai as the hub for development with architects pushing the limits of construction, embodied in the infamous Palm Jumeirah Island, but all this is changing as Hainan’s Phoenix Island becomes a reality.
 
MAD architects, renowned for their contemporary designs throughout Chinese cities, have taken the concept of Dubai’s man-made palm tree island and created the first artificial island designed specifically as a luxurious treasure trove of architectural phenomenon.
 
An artificial island is an island or archipelago that hasn’t been constructed by natural means but rather made by expanding islets and reefs that already exist, or by fusing a group of islets into a bigger island. These structures bring enormous economic prospects to the countries that invest in their construction, as seen with Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. 
 
Phoenix Island spans an area of nearly 400,000 square km, and is connected to mainland Hainan by a 390m footbridge to Sanya Bay.
 
It is surrounded by a harbor that has been commended as the best harbor in China with one of the top ten best marinas in the world for large cruise liners. Accompanied by six high-rise buildings with 7-star hotels and 5-star boutique apartments, as well as a yachting club, sports centre and a world-class shopping street, Phoenix Island is set to be a masterpiece in luxury tourism by its completion in 2014.
 
The island’s centerpiece, a fifty-meter tall fire phoenix sculpture, towers in the sky as a symbol of fortune and happiness in the Chinese culture, but also of the country’s progress. The buildings have received a surge of international attention with the unique blend of both tribal and futuristic styles reflected through incomparable creativity of design and architectural skill. 
 
China brought the ambitious island to the forefront of the world’s attention during the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, designating the island as the starting point for the Olympic Torch Relay on May 4. Zeng Xianyun, Chairman of Sanya Phoenix Island Investment ran the first leg from the island to across the bridge to Sanya city. Zeng, who calls the island the Oriental Dubai, plans to invest more than 5 billion yuan (700 million US$) into the island over the next few years.
 
 
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