Throwback Thursday: Happy New Year at the beach

Throwback Thursday is when we dig through the That's archives for a work of extraordinary genius, or timely relevance, written at some point in our past. We then republish it - on a Thursday.

This week, with the holidays rapidly approaching and the weather getting colder, we decided to look back on New Year 2007 at Yalong Bay, in Hainan Province. If you are feeling the urge to get away from the Pearl River Delta for the holidays, this story should help fuel the travel desire.

A lot has changed in Yalong Bay since the article below was originally written. A quick Internet search will reveal dozens of 5-Star resorts and hotels that now call this strip of beach home. Venture into a (slightly) simpler time with Shelly Wu’s New Year's Eve celebration at Yalong Bay.

The waves lap gently against my legs. The water is dark, lit by the moon and the breeze smells of ocean spray. It’s after midnight and I’m mulling what this water will look like when the fireworks for 2007 go off here – with showers of sparks lighting up the water.

It’s easy to fathom thousands of people, mainly couples spooning together on the beach, splayed out on towels, sipping champagne and necking. It’s not hard to imagine a few spirited souls sprinting into the surf wearing only their birthday suits.

After all, Yalong Bay is China’s answer to Club Med for couples. Well, sort of. This is hardly a swinging resort enclave.

It is, by contrast, an ideal place for long-term couples that harbor a skinny-dipping spirit. Which means that it’s an ideal place to come splash and celebrate New Year's Eve over several days. With nearly a dozen five-star hotels propped up on the beach, it also makes for a supreme mimosa crawl.

Said mimosa crawl should probably start at the Crown Plaza, which is adjacent to the Yalong Bay Golf Club. It’s famed for quality service and strong elixirs, much like the other admired resorts that practice “game theory.” That is to say, they view Yalong Bay as a destination instead of simply promoting their own resorts.

They have the foresight to celebrate this fabulous bay, with its pristine waters, and in doing so, seem like the best stewards on the beach. They are the Sheraton, Marriot and Hilton.

No, I don’t work for a PR firm, although I should. After all, I really am a fan of quality service, particularly in these parts. So when I see it, I go right out and toast it. I’ll certainly be toasting this New Year's Eve here, even if I can’t get a room on Yalong Bay.

Why? Because there’s going to be a fireworks display over the bay to usher in 2007, I can hardly wait. 

// This article first appeared in the December 2006 edition of That's PRD. For more Throwback Thursdays click here.