The monkey islet in Hainan is a big tourist attraction.

Traditional Chinese culture and folklore abound with monkey figures. From the ancient monkey totem to the legendary Monkey King, mischievous monkeys have always been popular. Now we even have an entire islet reserved for these animals.

In Lingshui county, Hainan province, there is Nanwan Monkey Islet, whose residents include more than 1,000 macaques. Macaques have lived on the islet for nearly 300 years and are now under State protection.

Nanwan Monkey Islet used to be one of the biggest tourist attractions in Hainan. It reached its heyday in the 1990s, when 200,000 tourists visited annually. But for a period after that, tourism declined because of rigid and backward management.

When Dai Guofu, president of the Nanwan Monkey Islet Tourism Development Co Ltd, was on a trip to the islet in 1995, he didn't expect to see the once hustling islet on the verge of closure.

Dai, confident about the prospects of this tropical island macaque natural reserve, succeeded in introducing new investments. A 2,138-m-long cable car was built in 1999 to facilitate travel from Lingshui county to the monkey islet. It only takes six minutes to travel over and the number of tourists has increased from 50,000 to almost 1 million over the past decade.

"We do not sell the ecological environment. We do not sell macaques. We sell fun," Dai says.

Even so, the concept is "monkey-centered" and "conservation first". Construction draws on local resources, such as areca and coconut trees, without any use of reinforced concrete.

"If the lobby is too modern and urban, monkeys will get lost when they step out of their bedrooms," Dai says.

The 1,000 macaques live in 24 groups. Only four groups, of about 300 monkeys, are for tourists to visit and play with. Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, says that Nanwan Monkey Islet stimulates the local economy and preserves 20 groups of wild macaques.

In the monkey kingdom, cute macaques are seen in every nook and cranny, hopping amid the boughs and twigs. Under the trainer's guidance, they put on comedy skits and acrobatics. When you sit in a designated position, three monkeys will immediately come up, one on your left, one on your right, while a third jumps on you. You can take photos with them, nestling in your arms, sitting on your lap or holding your hands.

"The performances are wonderful. The monkeys seem to be able to understand human language. It's amazing," Russian tourist Anfija says excitedly.

Macaques are vegetarians. They mainly feed on rice grains, peanuts, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. An animal anti-epidemic station is responsible for disinfection and epidemic prevention on the 9,000-sq-m area open to tourists.

Dai says: "We must respect tourists' rights while we preserve macaques."

The monkey guest-receiving band is a unique scene on the islet. As tourists step onto the islet, the monkeys raise the flag and perform a welcoming ceremony.

A "monkey prison" has been built on the islet. Dai says: "Nanwan Monkey Islet is a kingdom of monkeys. A kingdom needs some means of legal enforcement, therefore a prison is needed."

The monkey prison is for the disobedient and bullying monkey to practice self-reflection and self-remolding. When monkeys go to the prison and talk with the culprit, it can be released, because this is a sign that it can again get along with the group outside.

Dai brims over with confidence when talking about the future of the monkey islet: "We have up to now developed only the monkey part of the islet. The Nanwan harbor folklore, the aboriginal Tan culture and the marine resources offshore all remain to be tapped into."