Haixinsha Island (Tianhe District)

Haixinsha Island (Chinese: 海心沙) is an island in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is located to the south of Zhujiang New Town, newly developed CBD of the city, to the north of Canton Tower, an iconic architectural landmark, and to the east of Er Sha Island.

The island was used as garrison and warehouses of the People's Liberation Army until the local goverment decided it was to be redeveloped and transformed into the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Asian Games. Also, the island was located at a strategic point of the new city centre, bordered by the new CBD on the north and the Pearl River on the south. Local government had reportedly compensated the military ¥1 billion for the land of the island. A viewing stand which seated 35,000 in three tiers of seating, was erected on western end of the island in November 2010 for the opening ceremony. Other infrastructures included a metro station on a new APM system and large underground spaces which were directly connected to the underground complex of the CBD.

The future of the island is a subject of heated debate at the moment. When construction started, the government claimed the area would serve as a civic square after the Asian Games. However, when the games was finished, the whole island was immediately turned into an Asian Games park which charged an entry fee. Although the park attracted mainly tourists, the entry fee affected people who used the metro station as all entrances and exits of the station were located within the park. This sparked a public outcry and the entry fee was eventually lifted in September 2012. Moreover, the viewing stand was supposed to be a temporary structure which should ultimately be demolished. But in 2012, it was reported that a local real estate company was planning to turn it into a luxury hotel with a rooftop swimming pool.

See also

• Haixinsha Island (Haizhu District): another island with the same name in Haizhu District, Guangzhou