Far from the madding crowd: China's rich seek own islands

Guanlong Island, China

AS sunset falls on his private island in the South China Sea, entrepreneur Lin Dong likes few things better than to lounge on a hammock strung between two trees as waves lap the shore. "I don't like noise, and I'm not a fan of the pollution in crowded cities," he said. "The island life suits me much better".

Mr Lin, 42, made his fortune after founding a medical equipment company and is one of a small but growing number of wealthy Chinese acquiring their own islands. However, uncertainty over bureaucratic land ownership restrictions blights his fruit tree-strewn paradise. "I don't dare to invest in the island; anything I build on it could be demolished," he said.