Beach paradise
By Philip Hand
Photos by Yao Fan



依山傍海, 凭海临风, 厦门亚洲海湾大酒店位于环岛路中段, 前临洁白绵延的沙滩和碧波万顷的大海, 大自然美景尽收眼底. 酒店内各类游乐设施齐全, 集休闲度假, 旅游观光, 商务会议于一体. 11月15日--12月15日举办的"欧洲美食节"囊括了法, 意, 德, 英四国特色餐饮. 品美食, 观海景, 食饕勿错过!

The Asia Gulf Hotel is one of Xiamen's newest holiday hotspots, tucked between the Island Ring Road and the sea halfway from Xiamen University to the International Exhition & Conference Center. Having just opened in March, it is already proving dazzlingly popular because of its unique beachfront location. Even though autumn is making the sea a less appealing prospect than in the heat of summer, the hotel is still full and turning people away.



More than just a hotel, the Asia Gulf is almost a self-sufficient resort. With all the leisure facilities you'd expect at a five star hotel and more, the Asia Gulf aims to provide everything the holidaymaker desires. In fact, if you tried to take part in all the activities laid on to amuse and relax the guests, you would never feel the need (or have the energy!) to venture outside the hotel grounds. With tennis, kite flying and beach volleyball for the sporty and films, barbecues and mahjong for the more laid back, everywhere you turn in the beautifully kept compound you find more ways to while away the time. If you're tired of all the activities, you could simply sit back and enjoy the view: the hotel's spectacular scenery has already been used as the backdrop for many films and TV series.



It is not surprising, then, that the hotel has attracted holidaymakers and lovers in their droves. The Chinese Valentines Day (7-7) party was immensely popular, as was the cross-Straits mass wedding. But the attraction for November is the European Food Festival. With French delicacies such as snails, foie gras and beef cutlets to tickle the taste buds last week and Italian food to follow, even the notoriously hard-to-please French visitors are impressed by Head Chef James Chen's creations. Eric Goumain, in town on business with Areva, a power company, smiled as he gave his verdict: "C'est pas mal - it's not bad!"


Vocabulary
hotspot 热点
self-sufficient resort
设备齐全的休闲场所
lay back 向后靠(休息)
foie gras 鹅肝

King's International English celebrates its first anniversary
Photo by Yao Fan



King's International English Training Center held a special party at the Asia Gulf Hotel last Friday to celebrate its first anniversary. Seen in the picture is a student, Ms Wang Meiduo, making a fluent English speech at the party after a six-month training course.