Charlie's Angel-wannabes trained on Hainan beaches

Hainan Island’s fair weather, sandy beaches and ample sunshine have long lured Chinese travelers. But now a bunch of trainee bodyguards have fallen under its spell.

A group of 20 swimsuit-clad ladies descended on “China’s Haiwaii” last month with one goal in mind -- to spend more time doing push-ups than sipping coconut juice.

Mostly university graduates, they were being trained by China GSA Safety Consultation (天骄特卫), a Beijing-based bodyguard agency. They were in Hainan’s to kick-start a 10-month boot camp for professional female bodyguards.

The most-promising candidate from the camp will be sent to study in The Institute of National Security Studies in Israel.

According to Chen Yongqing (陈永青), head trainer, founder and chairman of GSA, the course starts with "slow-paced" warming-up exercises on Hainan’s Coconut Island (椰子岛), which are followed by "hell-like" anti-terrorism classes in Beijing.

Coconut Island is an unspoiled island about 28 kilometers from Sanya. The company chose to train there for its fair weather and empty beaches, which are hard to find around the capital.

Wearing a bikini can boost ‘willpower’

Although the training was set on a tropical island, the jam-packed schedule proved it was no holiday.

The trim students were required to spend 20 hours a day tackling various challenging courses, including carrying weights, boxing, hostage rescue and island survival, reported China Daily.

And why were they wearing bikinis?

The outfit is to help boost trainees’ “willpower,” said Chen Yongqing, 28, a retired member of the special force in The People's Liberation Army.

“If they can endure being shouted at and take on demanding physical trainings in a swimsuit, it means they possess or are building a strong character and high psychological tolerance,” Chen told us during a phone interview.

A 'husband-helping face' 

He explained that China has seen a surge in the demand for female bodyguards and this is the first female training camp his company has run since its founding in 2007.

“Most requests for female bodyguards come from female entrepreneurs or male businessmen for their family,” Chen added.

While the bodyguard-wannabes need to have a robust body and stamina to stand out from the peers, GSA also set a high stake on the bodyguards’ looks.

“The reality is clients will prefer better-looking bodyguards, so the candidates shouldn't be fat, such as having double chins or a ‘rubber ring’ belly,” explained Chen.

“Clients will also prefer the female bodyguard to have a 'husband-helping face'." (Many Chinese, especially businessmen, believe that certain female looks will help the males around make a fortune).

Tip for curious travelers: GSA's next Hainan beach training is due to run from March 18-April 14 on Coconut Island.

Coconut Island is a yet-to-be-developed island near Haitang Bay (海棠湾) and is becoming a nature safari destination for adventurous travelers.

There is hardly any public transport between Sanya and Coconut Island. Travelers should be prepared to join a local tour group for a day trip to the destination.