16 BUSINESS Monday, May 16, 2016 CHINA DAILY

TOURISM Colors of Miao infuse life into Taijiang tourism

A festival similar to Valentine’s Day more young people to the 1 industry. helps boost an ethnic area in Guizhou “I have accepted six apprentices recently,” he said. Liu Yongying, another By XINHUA in Guiyang local, chose to cash in on another unique product — “Zimei Jie” (Sisters’ Day), a Miao embroidery. Liu said five­day festival similar to Val­ she usually collects hand­ entine’s Day, is helping boost We plan to invest made embroidery from local tourism in an ethnic county in women and sells it during Sis­ Southwest China. more in our ethnic ters’ Day. This year her Chinese of Miao ethnicity embroidery was snapped up in Guizhou’s Taijiang county, culture, such as very quickly. in which 97 percent of the Miao silverware “Tourists love Miao embroi­ 168,000 residents are Miao, dery, which usually features concluded the annual event and embroidery.” goats, dogs, snowflakes and on April 19­23, with tens of swallows,” Liu said. thousands of locals donning Du Xianwei, mayor of Taijiang Sisters’ Day was named a traditional attire in parades, county, Guizhou province national intangible cultural musicians playing the reed­ heritage in 2006. pipe lusheng, and performan­ In the first three months of cers presenting drum dances. 2016 alone, Qiandongnan Pre­ Group weddings and bull­ glimpse of Miao culture.” fecture, which administers fights were also held, accord­ “In recent years, many for­ Taijiang, has welcomed more ing to the county government. eign visitors have come to Tai­ than 14 million tourists, a According to folklore, a jiang to admire the culture,” year­on­year increase of 57.6 2 Miao couple were not given she said. percent, according to official permission to be together by Daniel, an Italian tourist, statistics. Tourism revenue their parents and tribe lead­ said he came to Taijiang to rose 62.6 percent to 12.4 bil­ ers. They continued their enjoy the “colorful glutinous lion yuan ($1.9 billion). romance regardless and rice.” Totake Taijiang’s tourism to when they met in secret, the “I was curious about Miao the next level, the local gov­ girl would give her lover a folklore,” he said. “This is the ernment decided to bring in bowl of glutinous rice, known first time that I have seen more investment, with 13 pro­ as Sister’s Rice. Miao people, I just adore their jects worth almost 1.2 billion The two overcame adversi­ culture.” yuan already inked at this ty and became an official cou­ The event was also great for year’s event. ple. Sisters’ Day is celebrated local businesses. The projects will help devel­ annually in honor of their Wu Dongxiong, who oper­ op tourism, agriculture and love. ates a silverware store on Sis­ health recovery industry, The occasion, which ters’ Street in the county, said according to the government. reportedly reflects the tourists swarmed his store to “We plan to invest more in ancient lives of the Miao peo­ buy souvenirs. our ethnic culture, such as ple during the transition to “I have sold a pretty good Miao silverware and embroi­ patriarchy from matriarchy, amount of silverware this dery,” said county mayor Du drew more than 50,000 tour­ year,” said the silversmith. Xianwei. “We will also devel­ ists this year. “Because tourism has explod­ op ‘mountain tourism,’ featur­ “The stories are so roman­ ed in recent years, all of my 12 ing mountain lakes and tic,” said Xia Xiaohui, a paint­ siblings now work in the sou­ parks.” er from east China’s Zhejiang venir business.” Li Feiyue, Qiandongnan’s 3 province. “The distinctive The local government Party chief, said events like Miao culture is really inspira­ named Wu an “inheritor of Sisters’ Day are not just about 1) A Miao ethnic woman attends the recent Zimei Jie (Sisters' Day), a five­day festival similar to Valentine's Day, in Taijiang county, tional.” intangible cultural heritage” boosting economic growth. Guizhou province. 2) Miao ethnic people of all ages dress in festive costumes and wearing silver, gather at the Zimei Jie (Sisters’ Day) For tour guide Li Mei, Sis­ to encourage him to pass on “I hope similar festivals will festivities. 3) A foreign tourist takes a photo of the Sisters’ Day festival in Taijiang county. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ters’ Day gives tourists the the craftsmanship to the next pass on the Miao culture and opportunity to “have a generation and to attract traditions,” Li said.

RAILWAY TRAVEL Trains linking China, Europe Chinese help revive local businesses in Egypt

By XINHUA in LUXOR, Egypt tap into the China’s tourism Karnak. on the fast track for growth market. Helen is visiting Egypt The bazaar before the During a recent interview with her family for the first By XINHUA in Wuhan Mongolia, and through Manz­ Liu Ruiguo said as he ladled ancient Karnak Temple in with Xinhua, former Egyp­ time, but she said it will not houli in the northeast to Rus­ flour into a sack in a grocery Upper Egypt’s Luxor tourist tian Tourism Minister, Hish­ be her last. Caravans of camels carrying sia. Many cities now have store in Changchun, capital of city bustled with a substantial am Zaazou, said that Egypt “We prefer Luxor as it is a silk, jewels and spices along freight trains to European cit­ Jilin province. “The noodles number of Chinese tourists received 35 percent addition­ historical city and we learn so the Silk Road are long gone, ies including Hamburg, Lyons and dumplings made with it visiting the city, following al tourists from China imme­ much about Egypt’s history but cargo trains linking Chi­ and Madrid. have a better texture,” he said, months of acute recession. diately following president since it is one of the most nese cities with Europe are tak­ Such train networks have surrounded by a cornucopia of “Business died as most for­ Xi’s visit to Egypt. ancient civilizations in the ing the ancient road into a flourished since the launch of Russian commodities. eign tourists stopped visiting “The number of Chinese world, comparable to China,” brand­new future. Lin Zheng­ the Silk Road Economic Belt The Changchun­Manzhou­ the city lately,” Wael Ahmed, tourists increased from Helen’s mother said. peng’s electronics products in 2013 to improve coopera­ li­Europe line has transported an owner of a bazaar in Luxor 65,000 to 135,000 in 2015,” Helen’s mother also said used to take 40 days to reach tion between countries along cargo worth more than 35 mil­ said. “However, business Zaazou said, adding that he visiting Egypt is much cheap­ Poland by sea. Now,with a new the ancient Silk Road. lion euros since August, and in improved after Chinese tour­ believes the number could er than neighboring coun­ train route linking Europe and According to the Ministry of return the trains have brought ists started visiting Luxor.” rise to between half a million tries such as the United Arab Wuhan City where his compa­ Commerce, trade between novel, cheap goods like vodka, An increasing number of A man goes by a billboard and a million shortly, once Emirates, Lebanon or Jor­ ny is based, it takes just two China and “Belt and Road” tiramisu and wild Siberian Chinese tourists are visiting advertising Egypt's tourism in flights from China to Egypt dan, therefore it is more weeks. countries totaled $995 billion honey. In a Russian store in Egypt following President Xi Wangfujing Street, downtown increase. attractive to Chinese tourists. “Our efficiency with trains is in 2015, about a quarter of the Changchun, a bottle of vodka Jinping’s recent visit, reviv­ Beijing. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY To encourage more tour­ Chinese and Egyptian much higher than shipping, national trade volume. The costs only 45 yuan ($6.9), ing Egypt’s tourism industry. ists to visit the country, Egypt tourist agencies promote and the cost is lower than air­ western municipality of while fresh tiramisu costs only Tourism in Egypt was dealt exempted Chinese tourists Luxor to Chinese tourists as a freight,” Liu said. A direct Chongqing sent 490 trains to 30 yuan. Some items like flour a heavy blow following the similarly as with Egyptian from visa requirements, great city to visit in Egypt. freight train linking Wuhan in Europe in 2015; Zhengzhou are even cheaper than their Russian airplane crash in tourist cities. allowing for visa­upon­arriv­ “Egypt in general and Lux­ central China and Lyons in more than 300, representing Chinese counterparts. North Sinai last October, aft­ However, the industry has al if they are sponsored by a or in particular are rather France began running last over $1.4 billion of goods. “China has a trade surplus er which several countries, recently improved as hun­ tourist agency and are finan­ special. Luxor’s 7,000 year­ week. Exports are only half the with many countries, but the including Britain and Russia, dreds of Chinese tourists visit cially comfortable. old history attracts Chinese China now has three rail story. In northeast China, China­Europe trains can help suspended their flights to the city daily. Apparently, these meas­ tourists who single out Egypt channels to Europe — a west­ where a freight train began foreign countries exploit the Egypt. “As you can see, Chinese ures as well as Luxor’s charm for its rich history, and they ern route through the Alataw running to Europe last year, Chinese market,” said Lan This further augmented tourists are everywhere in attract Chinese tourists look­ also want to learn more Pass in Xinjiang Uygur autono­ Russian imports are all the Jianping, head of the Zhejiang the recession in the country’s Luxor,” Ahmed said. “I was ing for tranquility surround­ about its local culture,” said mous region to Kazakhstan, a rage. Industry and Economy already ailing tourism sector going to close my shop a ed by breathtaking ancient Yang Lili, a Chinese leader of middle path via Erenhot to “I often buy Russian flour,” Research Institute. which is a major source of its month ago but I changed my ruins scattered throughout a tourist group during a tour national income and foreign mind after Chinese tourists the city. of Karnak Temple. currency reserves. started coming.” Luxor is home to Tutank­ Yang said Chinese tourists However, even before the He added that Chinese hamen’s tomb in the Valley of were very scared to visit plane crash, Egypt suffered a tourists also frequent restau­ the Kings and its magnificent Egypt at first due to the coun­ sharp decline in tourism due rants, coffee shops, bazaars sunset at the majestic Kar­ try’s political and security sit­ to three years of political tur­ and malls nearly as much as nak and Luxor temples are a uation, but they were moil, including two mass American and European perfect choice for culture­ encouraged following the uprisings which toppled two tourists did, though they’ve based tourism. Chinese president’s visit ear­ presidents, forcing several recently stopped visiting “It is very pleasant here lier this year. countries to ban their citi­ Luxor. amongst the city’s old tem­ “We don’t worry too much zens from visiting Egypt for Egypt, the most populous ples, with lovely weather, and about security as it is very safety reasons. Arab country, with its rich it is quite safe,” said a 17­year­ safe here, and not as danger­ Luxor, once an Ancient culture, now pins immense old Chinese girl called Helen, ous as the news portrays it,” Egyptian capital, suffered hope on China and is eager to as she toured the Temple of she said.