Hainan has established a primary cocoa processing production line and a quality and safety control traceability system. It also has developed key processing technologies such as low-temperature drying and baking, ultrafine grinding, scientific fixation of aroma and flavor enhancement, local government officials said.

With the special features and quality of Hainan cocoa beans gaining more recognition, more domestic and foreign enterprises are looking to do business with the island province, said Liao Zirong, director of the Hainan tropical agriculture international technology transfer center of CATAS. An increasing number of local farmers are turning to the center, asking for technical guidance in cultivating new varieties of cacao trees, Liao said.

The Spice and Beverage Research Institute has reached agreements with international organizations and institutions such as the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, or CATIE, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and Ghent University of Belgium to boost future collaboration and exchanges in scientific and technological innovation, talent training, technical upgrades and brand development, said Qin.

Qin added that they will work together to promote the high-quality development of the cocoa industry in Hainan.

Cocoa beans are rich in ingredients such as cocoa butter, the vasodilator theobromine and flavonoids, which are good for the heart, kidney and intestines. Experts have suggested that Hainan tap their potential health value and develop products with local features that can be marketed to tourists as gifts.

Cacao trees and their fruits are a special attraction for tourists, especially those from northern regions, as the fruit changes from green to yellow, pink and red as they become ripe.

In Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden, the attractive fruit, or pods, growing on the trunks and branches of the leafy trees－instead of only on the branches as with most other fruit trees－attract crowds of photo-snapping tourists. The pods contain seeds which are the cocoa beans. The DIY chocolate center also lures many to enjoy making chocolate themselves with cocoa beans harvested from the garden.

Xinglong garden, a famous tourist destination with more than 800,000 visitors annually, is home to more than 3,000 kinds of tropical plants, such as tropical spices, beverages, fruits, ornamental and medicinal trees and other plants as well as palms and tropical aquatic plants.

"It was very pleasing to see the wonderful and colorful fruits hanging on the cacao tree trunks. And it was even more exciting to have time to indulge in making sweet chocolates myself in Hainan," said Lao Ding, a tourist from Shandong province who took a day trip to the botanical garden, which also serves as a national environment science promotion and education center.

"Cacao trees and their beans definitely will make Hainan more attractive, along with its popular sea views, soft beaches, tropical landscapes and the traditional food hospitality," said Wang Bin, a frequent visitor to Hainan in his 50s from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

"The experience of DIY chocolates here was very entertaining and impressive. I believe people will be happy to see a small shop giving people a place to enjoy making chocolates themselves in my home city," said Wang, adding that he may open a bakery to make chocolates and sweet cakes with cocoa from Hainan.

Wang's idea is in line with a new boutique business model involving cocoa that is becoming popular in some big cities at home and abroad.

At present, China's annual per capita consumption of chocolate is less than 0.1 kg, less than 10 percent of that in Western countries. But the trend is growing at 15 to 20 percent annually, experts said. Imports of cocoa products－including beans, powder and cocoa butter－grew from 75,000 metric tons in 2010 to 108,000 tons in 2019, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

"With small chocolate-making machinery becoming more budget-friendly, anyone can become a chocolate maker at home," said Huang Dantong, a bakery owner in downtown Haikou, capital of Hainan. He said he thinks more consumers want to buy high-quality cocoa beans and process them in their own way to create unique flavors, especially as COVID-19 keeps more people at home.

"So Hainan's cocoa industry has good prospects in exploring its added value to bring in greater economic benefits, better serve the tourism sector and enhance its role in helping to build a more sound natural environment," said Liao, director of the technology transfer center of CATAS.