22 LIFE | Travel Monday, April 18, 2016 CHINA DAILY
NEW TRACKS Green getaways A marathon to join the tourism race
By YANG FEIYUE [email protected]
Anhui province’s Huangshan city is painting a new finish line for its tourism ambitions, starting with Huizhou district’s first marathon on April 10. The event was unique in that runners competed on mountain paths lined with spring flowers. The race route passed ancient villages of the Huistyle architec ture that features white buildings capped with dark roofs, says the district’s Party secretary, Cheng Breathtaking rapeseed blooms in Tongren, Guizhou province, draw visitors every spring. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Hong. The route crossed major scenic spots, including the Qiankou Civil Residence built in the Ming Dynasty (13681644), Chengkan’s ancient lanes, Lingshan’s terraced fields and Huistyle houses. PETAL POWER More than 1,800 runners from home and abroad signed up for the marathon and a 5kilometer mini marathon. Spring blooms bring visitors to Guizhou. Yang Feiyue, Yang Jun and Zeng Jun report. Runners received “Huizhou pass ports” that provide discounted trav n spring, Guizhou’s flowering eling, shopping and fields lure visitors to fly kites About accommodation. and experience its ethnic cul this series Cycling and water sports will be ture. added to the annual event, Cheng ITaiwan resident Ye Denggui says. visited the province’s Tongren city China Daily explores ecotourism The district’s traveldevelopment for a kite competition in late destinations and activities plan released in March integrates March, and the 53yearold was throughout spring. sports, culture and industry. dazzled by Huashi village’s Huizhou will invest 5 million 20,000squaremeter garden of yuan ($770,000) to promote tour red, pink, white, purple and yel ism, upgrade transportation and low tulips. In a related development, Ning enhance rural guesthouse develop “It’s fun to fly a kite in the fresh bo will train Guizhou’s tourism ment this year. air in such surroundings,”he says. professionals and annually award It plans to open three fivestar Contestants came from China three agencies from the city that hotels within five years to accom and 21 countries and regions, send the most visitors to Guizhou, modate 20,000 people in 10 years, including the United States, Belgi says the Guizhou tourism authori compared with 2,000 beds available um and India. ty’s director, Li Yonghui. now, not counting farmers’ guest The color blast will last until May. The province may also emulate houses. Villagers planted tulip seedlings the model used at Hangzhou’s West A highspeed railway line has in December, and the tourism sec Lake, where free admission has boosted tourism, since Huangshan tor burst into bloom with them this boosted visits to the city. bei Station is now half an hour by spring. Weekend visitors have “Guizhou will adopt this develop train from the district. topped 5,000 since March. ment mode,”says Mou. “Most attractions can be accessed The city has integrated its natural But it’ll take time, considering by bus,” says the district’s deputy beauty and culture to bring in visi many of the province’s attractions director, Fang Hong. tors, who explore the area’s six cen need massive investments in infra The area bursts into bloom in late turies of history and natural structure and maintenance. March. splendors. They also pick fruits and Separately, transportation has Rapeseed, peach, pear and orien bamboo shoots. greatly improved in recent years. tal cherry blossoms explode across Meanwhile more locals are offer Clockwise: Women of the Dong ethnic group in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, parade in their villages to pray for Now, Longdongbao Internation the mountains. ing farmhouse stays to the growing a good harvest in spring. People perform at a wedding in Danfeng county. Tourists take photos in a field of tulips. al Airport in the provincial capital, While the first marathon was number of visitors. Guiyang, offers 13 flights to and small in size, organizers believe it’s “We can also increase our from popular destinations abroad, the starting line for something incomes by introducing tourists to Tourism income rose 32 percent Even amateurs can climb up the scenic spots, and hotel and trans including Thailand’s Bangkok and huge. local rural food,” says Huashi resi to 4.9 billion yuan ($758 million). rock face, using iron handrails and portation discounts to visitors Phuket, Japan’s Osaka and Nagoya, Considering the first three partic dent Tang Xuekui. Guizhou hosts a stunning natural cables. It is one of fewer than 10 from Zhejiang’s Ningbo, Jiangsu and Indonesia’s Bali. ipants to cross the finish line were While tulips are a new addition beauty preserved in its karst forma such routes nationwide. province’s Suzhou, Shandong Highspeed rail transport has from abroad, it seems Huizhou has to Tongren’s flower power, its rape tions, says the provincial tourism Tea picking, processing and tast province’s Qingdao and Liaoning also boosted visitor numbers. already got a head start in its race to seed blooms have drawn sightseers authority’sdeputy director,Tan Aiy ing events also enticed tourists province’s Dalian. Tourists can now hop onto buses lure visitors from afar. to Wawu village for years. ing. around Tomb Sweeping Day. Speaking of the incentives, the to major scenic spots throughout But Tongren is just the tip of And flowers make springtime the Guizhou’s most popular sites provincial tourism authority’s the province from right outside Guizhou’s booming tourism. most magnificent season. include the Huangguoshu Water deputy director, Mou Yong, says: train stations, says Mou. Guizhou and Zhejiang province’s Some destinations, like Bijie and fall, Libo and the ethnic Miao vil “These are developed cities and All of Guizhou’s counties became capital, Hangzhou, were the only Zunyi cities, have taken flower lage of Xijiang. important sources of tourists to accessible by highway last year. two places in China The New York viewing to new heights — in every Most trips to the province offered Guizhou.” Ye says the improved transport Times listed among its “52 places to sense. by China’s biggest online travel The province has also signed system means he’ll likely return. go in 2016”. Bijie has introduced helicopter agency, Ctrip, last roughly five days agreements with Suzhou’s travel “I’ve heard about many other The province’s spring scenery rides to view the azaleas, while and cover all three destinations. agencies and scenic attractions. attractions,”he says. enticed 9.58 million visitors during Zunyi has constructed the prov April excursions cost a bit north Suzhou Travel Service chairman “I’ll definitely return.” the recent threeday Tomb Sweeping ince’s first mountainclimbing of 3,000 yuan. Bao Zhijun says: “Guizhou’s land Runners pass Huizhou’s classic pai Day holiday, 30 percent more than route that’s expected to open in As an added attraction, Guiz scapes also appeal to tourists from Contact the writers through fang archways during the marathon. duringthesameperiodlastyear. May. hou offers free access to major Suzhou.” [email protected] PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
PROMOTION
Lulu Kedmi, 43, a tour guide for Chinese visiting Israel for more than Israel gearing up to receive a decade, echoes Shnitman. “As Chinese understand more about Israel and with the upcoming 10year visa, I think there will be more Chinese tourists more individual tourists from Chi na,” she tells China Daily over phone. By XU LIN Li Wenqi, the move is significant. The new visa policy is part of Isra Kedmi, who was born in China [email protected] “Israel’s long history and pictur el’s efforts to make visa application and is married to an Israeli, says esque views make for more than just procedures simpler since it started some scenic spots in Israel have China and Israel recently one visit,”Li, who works for a Shang granting individual tourism visas to introduced Chinese subtitles in announced that mutual 10year haibased web company, tells China Chinese applicants in 2013, says their promotional videos, and local multipleentry visas would be Daily over the phone. Perri. tour guides are being trained to issued to their citizens in the future Israel and China began to waive serve Chinese visitors. for travel related to business and visas for holders of diplomatic and She says that there are about 40 tourism. 43 percent service passports in January. tour guides in Israel who speak Among a raft of cooperation Israel’s Ministry of Tourism says Israel draws Chinese visitors who are interested in seeing sites related to Chris Mandarin and several can also agreements signed during talks in The number of Chinese travelers to Israel the number of Chinese visitors to tianity, in addition to the picturesque views and cultural features. speak Cantonese. Jerusalem between VicePremier was more than 47,000 last year,a Israel has risen by more than 30 per PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Some are of Chinese origin like Liu Yandong and Israeli Prime Min massive jump from 2014. cent yearonyear over the past her and are trained to understand ister Benjamin Netanyahu in three years. Last year, more than all aspects of Israel, ranging from March, the new visa arrangement 47,000 Chinese traveled to Israel, land to Israel by Hainan Airlines, Bora Shnitman, director of the geography to culture. makes China the first country with He first visited Israel in 2014, tak marking a 43 percent rise over 2014. three times a week, effective from Israeli government’s tourism office Up to 80 percent of the tourist which Israel has entered into such ing a 10day tour that cost nearly Israel estimates that the number April 28. It takes more than 11 hours in Beijing, says some hotels in Israel groups she guides are Chinese who an understanding. 20,000 yuan ($3,086), with a trip to will reach 68,000 this year. by a nonstop flight from Beijing to are inviting Chinese chefs to train visit Israel on pilgrimages. There are Efrat Perri, a spokeswoman for Jordan thrown in. Traveling in a Israeli tourism officials are mak Tel Aviv. local staff so as to cater to Chinese also visitors who attend business the Israeli embassy in Beijing, says it group, he and other Chinese were ing efforts to promote their country EL AL Israel Airlines has three tastes and also plan to offer Chinese seminars on topics like Israel’s irri could take up to a few months interested in seeing sites related to as a destination for Chinese tour direct flights from Beijing to Tel Aviv TV channels. gation and sewage systems. before Chinese can apply for the Christianity. ists this year, with the aim of and six from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv Although Chinese tend to travel Kedmi says some Chinese worry if longterm visas. Israelis are hospitable to Chinese achieving an annual average of every week. in groups to Israel, there are some Israel is safe to visit, given existing A timeline for implemention of also because Shanghai had shel 100,000 Chinese visitors in the next “I’m excited about the new flights young independent travelers as tensions in the region. the agreement has yet to tered many Jewish refugees fleeing few years. and hope there will be more (in the well. Young Chinese like new experi “But when a guest returns to Chi announced. Nazioccupied Europe during World China on its part has announced future) for the convenience of Chi ences, such as ecotourism, Shnit na, his or her good comment about Even so, for some like 30yearold War II, says Li. the first direct flight from the main nese travelers,”Perri says. man says. Israel is the best promotion.”