CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Thursday, October 31, 2019 | 19 LIFE Malta’s Jumping into fall around Beijing magic The capital has charms launched 10 routes for Chinese travelers to wine By XU LIN and dine amid [email protected] rural areas’ Island experiences, cultural curiosi­ ties and historical legacies are allures autumn that the “heart of the Mediterranean” hopes will draw more Chinese visi­ sceneries, Yang tors. Feiyue reports. Malta’s capital, Valletta, hosts baroque architecture and relics related to the Knights of St. John. The city won hanging leaves and sea­ the title of European Capital of Culture sonal harvests are draw­ in 2018. ing travelers with an The Malta Tourism Authority recent­ appetite for fall scenery ly had its first official meeting with Chi­ Cand delicacies specific to the capi­ nese tour operators in Beijing as a tal’s countryside. prelude to their ambitious marketing This has prompted Beijing’s plans in China. municipal culture and tourism The authority signed memorandums bureau and the city’s commerce of understanding with four Chinese bureau to develop 10 themed tour operators, including Beijing­ routes and organize activities until based Utour Group and Shanghai­ December. based Jinjiang Travel, at the event. China Daily looks at what these China is the world’s largest out­ itineraries offer. bound­travel source market. Chinese made nearly 150 million overseas CHANGPING DISTRICT trips in 2018, a 14.7 year­on­year increase. Baiyanggou- Yet Malta is relatively unfamiliar to Changyucheng Chinese among European destinations. Visitors to Changping district This has prompted relevant players to can explore virgin forests and the develop three tourism packages to cater Great Wall at the Baiyanggou to Chinese preferences. nature reserve, and experience Jinjiang Travel’s vice­president, Yu rural life in Changyucheng village. Yitao, says the company will develop The area is known for chewy trot­ more Malta products and expand Mal­ ters stewed for eight hours. ta’s presence in their southern Europe­ an itineraries. Kangling village- A three­day trip to such destinations Dalinggou Kiwifruit as the Ggantija Temples — two prehis­ Valley toric temples on Gozo Island — enables Kangling village hosts 800­year­ Chinese to explore iconic sites and old gingkoes and a farmers market experience ancient culture. where people can buy produce and A six­day tour features such activities join in harvests. The settlement is as diving off Comino Island and Medi­ known for spring rolls stuffed with terranean cooking classes. about two­dozen locally produced Couples can hold wedding ceremo­ fillings. nies in palaces and shoot wedding pho­ Kangling’s Dalinggou Kiwifruit tos in picturesque places that also serve Valley houses 13 Ming Dynasty as shooting locations for films. (1368­1644) emperors’ tombs. The “Due to its unique location and his­ area also contains date, apple and tory, Malta has a blend of cultures, pear orchards. such as French, Italian and African, which is still present today in our Xianrendong village- architecture, language, lifestyle and Mangshan Forest Park identity,” says MTA deputy CEO Carlo Xianrendong is known for lab­ Micallef. yrinthine streets, and reliefs and “Tourism allows the people of Malta frescos depicting auspicious and China to understand each other imagery. It’s also celebrated for and enjoy each other’s cultures. Unlike its vegetarian fare, especially some European countries, Malta’s locally produced eggplants and hotels and attractions are open to tour­ cucumbers. Mangshan park’s ists year­round.” mountains are sometimes lik­ The main sources of inbound tourists ened to a giant, rocky python. last year were the United Kingdom, The reserve is home to over 170 Germany and northern Europe, the species of flora. authority’s data show. Visitors stayed Clockwise from top: A mountain road in Huairou district features colorful autumn leaves; polychromatic blooms at the Blossom Sea 7.3 days on average. HUAIROU DISTRICT in Yanqing district; a table of rural fare offered in Kangling village in Changping district; traditional­style architecture along canals in The number of Chinese visitors to the scenic resort, Wtown, in Miyun district; an autumn scene in Bohai town in Huairou district. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Malta has doubled within the past four Lavender garden- years and the figure of 2018 reached Shentangyu about 11,000. Huairou’s celebrated lavender Great Wall. Visitors can enjoy such Yanqing’s Blossom Sea swirls ple. It’s celebrated for its colorful the sights and smells of vast fields “For the last five years, Malta has garden hosts Western­style build­ local folk arts as kite­making and with polychromatic blooms year­ autumn leaves. of purple flowers. The grounds been striving to expand its inbound ings and historical Chinese archi­ tie­dyeing. round. The area also features moun­ also host European­style buildings tourist markets to regions like Austra­ tecture, featuring bluestones, gray tains, petrified wood and a scenic DAXING DISTRICT and windmills. lia, North America and Asia,” Micallef tiles, bridges and waterways. PINGGU DISTRICT canyon. Baked pies with spiced salt says. Shentangyu offers fruit picking, have been listed among the district’s Beijing Wildlife Park- Lyudou Manor-World The challenge is promoting the coun­ rural homestays and cuisine. It’s Jinhai Lake-Jingdong top 10 cultural heritages. sanba banquet-Vanilla Rose Theme Park try and its offerings in China, he adds. known for ethnic Manchu ban­ Stone Forest Canyon Manor Weishanzhuang town’s Lyudou The MTA aims to enhance coopera­ quets that feature four hot and Jinhai Lake offers water activi­ Liugou village­Yongning Beijing’s wildlife park offers inti­ Manor offers vegetable­picking, tion with Chinese tour operators cold dishes, respectively. ties and fish stewed over firewood. ancient town mate animal encounters. Petting sports and games. The local cui­ though such methods as trainings, A 1.5 billion­year­old karst cave, Liugou is surrounded by moun­ zoos with deer, roe deer and squir­ sine, especially poultry, is known seminars and joint promotions. It also MIYUN DISTRICT the Jingdong Stone Forest Canyon tains on three sides, and offers rels are ideal for children. for gamey flavors. hopes to expand its marketing on Chi­ and Tianyun Mountain contribute clean and comfortable, yet rustic, The area’s 24­dish sanba ban­ Daxing’s rose park is one of the nese social media. Wtown-Miyun reservoir to its natural appeal. rural experiences. It’s known for quets were served to distinguished biggest of its kind in northern Chi­ Malta has been investing in Chi­ Miyun’s reservoir provides pic­ hotpot featuring locally produced guests during the Ming (1368­ na. It showcases over 1,700 species nese­speaking tour guides and hotel turesque views and delicious fish YANQING DISTRICT tofu, streaked pork, Chinese cab­ 1644) and Qing (1644­1911) dynas­ from around the world. staff, and plans to expand that to prepared in seven ways. Wtown bage and rice sticks. ties, and the Minguo period (1912­ stores. hosts traditional­style architecture Four-Seasons Blossom Yongning ancient town hosts a 49). Contact the writer at “As the number of Chinese tourists along canals in the shadow of the Sea-Wulong Canyon historical street, church and tem­ Daxing’s Vanilla Manor offers [email protected] increases, this will be a necessary investment,” Micallef says. Miyun has focused on tourism development in recent years, and Miyun’s agritourism recently unveiled eight autumn­ themed tours for travelers. The district hosts Wtown, the bears new fruit Simatai section of the Great Wall and Yunmeng Mountain. It’s also known for brilliant fall By YANG FEIYUE nical support and fertilizer over leaves. the years, she says. Visitors enjoy health tourism, Zhao Guoxin has been busy Now, Zhao’s plot is filled with sightseeing and rural leisure. hosting visitors, who’ve come to green pear trees that bear fruit Miyun has developed 30 routes, pick pears in her orchards in from mid­September to early each featuring two or three desti­ Zhuangtouyu village in Beijing’s November. nations. Authorities have also suburban Miyun district. The area’s bucolic scenery has organized harvest celebrations, “The key is to keep the pears also attracted many travelers from Tourists pick vegetables during the recent harvest festival in cooking competitions and food intact, especially the stems,” she the capital’s downtown area over Zhuangtouyu village in Beijing’s suburban Miyun district. tastings. says. the years. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY The district recently hosted its “Then, they can last for a long “They come to enjoy pears, hik­ second harvest festival. Partici­ time.” ing and fish,” Zhao says. pants picked vegetables, husked Zhao planted the trees in 2000, Her family’s income has grown The harvests benefit 420 Zhu­ 25,000 yuan per household, vil­ corn, ground soybeans, hiked and when Beijing’s government with the increase in visitors. The angtouyu residents. lage official Zhao Keshuang says. fished. encouraged the reforestation of pear orchards bring her family The area’s annual pear produc­ Over 24,000 travelers visited “We’re looking forward to wel­ Malta’s capital, Valletta, wins the grain fields. 40,000 to 50,000 yuan tion exceeds 300 metric tons and during the recent National Day coming more visitors this year,” title of European Capital of Culture Authorities have provided tech­ ($5,600­7,000) a year. generates an annual average of holiday. resident Li Liqing says. in 2018. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY.