22 LIFE | Travel Monday, February 12, 2018 DAILY

Guizhou’s snow is a reason to visit

By YANG JUN

Drought-prone province, known for its cutting karst formations, doesn’t nat- urally sire snowy slopes for skiing. It’s dry. Its peaks tend to be sheer. You’d fall off, rather than glide down, most inclines. Yet the Yushe Snow Resort, or the Yushe National Forest Park, in Liupanshui city has created a winter wonderland where there was none. The resort has purchased 60 snow machines to transform a swathe of a national forest park into a place to go to enjoy snow in Guizhou. The mountains, which aver- age around 2,250 meters, sel- Travelers drive themselves to see the autumn scene in the in , which has long been popular with travelers for its remarkable landscapes and ethnic culture. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY dom experience snowfall but are coated with freezing rain in winter. This, in every sense, put a chill on tourism during the season. Road trips a route to prosperity It was a great disparity throughout the year for a place that’s hailed as a summer hot spot. “Few travelers visit the con- The growing number of travelers who in January, which was previ- Baxilike became more pros- ventional sites in winter,” the ously a slow month for local perous after several local gov- resort’s manger Gao Song says. drive through Xinjiang is providing new tourism because of the cold. ernment departments “So, we developed new His place is located along launched products near high- opportunities.” poverty-alleviation opportunities to the “golden travel belt” way driving routes in August It has hosted such compe- around the Tianshan Moun- 2017. titions and events as the villagers. Yang Feiyue reports. tains. Many drivers visit to enjoy 2017 Summer International “Many tourists buy our local fare and milk tea. Marathon and World Snow he trend in which gos. Highlights include chickens and eggs after enjoy- To date, 17 households have Day. more Chinese travel- Tianchi Lake, Urumqi’s ing our dapanji (sauteed spi- opened dining businesses. T ers are driving to Grand Bazaar and the Narat cy chicken),” says Liu. Some rake in 50,000 yuan their destinations is Grassland. He earned a meager income ($7,940) a year. paving the way for poverty More travelers in Xinjiang from crops seven years ago, he Xinjiang will set up special alleviation in the Xinjiang are driving themselves, says says. teams to promote tourism- Uygur autonomous region. the Xinjiang road-trip associ- Visitors also buy the flat based poverty alleviation. Two road-trip routes in the ation’s secretary-general Li peaches his neighbors grow in Agritourism, online sales of region were recently listed Xiaohu. the summer. rural products, skiing and among western China’s top-10 Hundreds have driven Tourists who drive them- handicrafts are means to driving itineraries by the Chi- across the Taklimakan Desert selves have also boosted sales improve residents’ liveli- na National Tourism Admin- through bookings with CYTS of agricultural and forest hoods, the region’s poverty- istration and the State Xinjiang International Travel products in Xinjiang’s Bayin- alleviation authority says. Council’s Poverty Relief Agency since 2010. golin Mongol autonomous Xinjiang welcomed a Office. The company claims to prefecture, Hami and Tur- record 107 million tourists The list is intended to have been the first to offer pan. last year, a year-on-year encourage travelers to driving tours through the Xinjiang’s tourism develop- increase of a third, Xinjiang explore off-the-beaten-path autonomous region. ment commission and pover- regional government chair- destinations and create live- All but 5 percent of drivers ty-alleviation authorities have man Shohrat Zakir says. lihood opportunities along who booked trips in Xinjiang selected over 600 villages that Tourism spending The Yushe Snow Resort, also the way. last year were from outside are suitable for tourism devel- increased by 30 percent to 182 known as the Yushe National Xinjiang has long been pop- the region, Ma Li, a manager opment since 2016. billion yuan. Forest Park in Guizhou’s Liupan- ular with travelers who take with the agency, tells local Most are near major roads Local governments have shui city, has transformed the the wheel themselves. They news portal ts.cn. or cities and are easily accessi- deemed tourism as a pillar summer hot spot into a winter enjoy its remarkable land- Drivers from outside Xinji- ble to drivers. Many drivers industry offering the greatest wonderland. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO scapes and ethnic culture. ang were previously a minori- consume local farmers’ chick- growth potential among sec- CHINA DAILY One of the listed Xinjiang ty, he says. ens, mutton, eggs and fruit, a tors, a recent government routes runs 1,800 kilometers The local government has tourism development com- work report says. through Korla, Aksu, Kashgar been constructing such From top: Sunrise in , the oil-rich city in Xinjiang known mission official says. They also The report sets 30 percent The resort receives 20,000 and Hotan. infrastructure as camping for its unique Yardang landform; nomads inhabit the mountains of enjoy seeing how locals live. growth as the goal for 2018. visitors daily on average dur- Drivers visit the Kuqa sites. Altay celebrate their annual snow festival. Bayanbulak’s Baxilike vil- Many of those who arrive in ing the winter season, Gao Grand Canyon, Kizil Grottoes Plans call for the establish- lage previously fell under the these locations and accelerate says. and the Taklimakan Desert. ment of a tourism-product can offer such services as din- “We’ve had business year- local government’s official rural travel, indeed, will be Yushe invested 200 million The other covers part of the association to work with the ing and local specialties, round since Tianchi opened a poverty line. drivers who seek adventure yuan ($31.8 million) to expand Hexi corridor regional government to which in turn offer them new ski resort,” he tells China The settlement is only an behind the wheel. its snowfields from 500 to between province and launch more driving routes. income opportunities. Tourism News. hour’s drive from the Dus- 100,000 square meters in the Xinjiang’s far west. It spans The concept is to lead trav- Chujiawan village resident “Many skiers who drive hanzi-Korla Highway, Contact the writer at past few years. over 2,000 km, covering Tur- elers to villages among major Liu Jun runs a rural guest- here eat at our restaurant.” which is known for its yangfeiyue@ It offers ski ranges of various pan, Urumqi, Narat and Hor- attractions. Rural residents house near Tianchi Lake. Business was brisk for Liu beautiful scenery. chinadaily.com.cn difficulty levels and snowmo- biling. “It’s wonderful to ski here, even though the snow isn’t deep enough,” says veteran Bali beckons again, following volcanic eruptions skier Luo Yongming, who was visiting from . “The scenery is stunning.” By XU LIN advised against visiting dan- can visit other volcanoes on ity destinations including Nearly a third of visitors [email protected] gerous locations near Mount the island, such as Mount Toba Lake and Tanjung Les- come from outside the prov- Agung. Batur,” she says. ung Peninsula, through its ince. The dust — more precisely, Indonesian authorities Many of 6renyou.com’s cus- “New Bali” plan. Yushe received 180,000 win- ash — has settled around have been taking action to tomers are middle-class fami- It’s constructing such infra- ter tourists in 2016 and 2017, Mount Agung. prepare for such events as lies who prefer to stay in five- structure as roads and air- compared with 65,000 in 2015. And Indonesia’s Bali Island new eruptions and promise to star hotels and visit such sites ports to place these It generated 30 million yuan is ready to greet Chinese visi- take precautions to ensure as Bali Safari and Marine destinations higher on visi- in the 2015-16 period. tors during the upcoming Chinese visitors’ safety. Park, and Waterbom Park. tors’ itineraries. New direct Liupanshui received 300 Spring Festival, following the Bali’s government has They also enjoy snorkeling, flights will open to these million visits that generated volcanic peak’s eruptions at announced it’s safe to visit, buying local folk arts and emerging attractions. 20 billion yuan in 2017. That’s the end of last year. Chinese media platform New appreciating such experien- Jakarta and Palembang will more than a 60 percent The area around Mount Lvjie reported recently. Only ces as learning how to cook host the 18th Asian Games increase in revenue and a Agung experienced earth- the area within 6 kilometers local food. from Aug 18 to Sept 2. Indone- nearly 58 percent increase in quakes and eruptions from around Mount Agung is About 2 million Chinese sia views this as an opportuni- visits year-on-year. September through Decem- closed to the public. visited Indonesia last year, ty to attract Chinese sports Tourism has assisted pover- ber. Residents and tourists Ngurah Rai International Ulun Danu Bratan Temple is a beautiful landmark located on the accounting for about 15 per- enthusiasts and for them to ty alleviation. were forced to evacuate in Airport was only closed for western side of the Beratan Lake in Bali. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY cent of inbound tourists, Xin- travel around the country. Relocated villager Nie San- November. two and a half days at the end hua News Agency reports. “It’s convenient for Chinese wen works as a driver of the “In spite of Mount Agung’s of November due to ash and from Ngurah Rai Internation- no in the lobby every day. Nearly 1.4 million Chinese to fly to Jakarta to witness the tourism electric cart. The earlier eruptions, Bali Island’s has since operated normally, al Airport and the main tour- “Most airlines between Chi- visited Bali in 2017, account- excellent performances of 46-year-old earns 4,000 yuan safety for travel is under con- Bali’s government says. Even ism area, so it shouldn’t affect nese cities and Bali have ing for the biggest inbound Chinese athletes,” Yahya says. a month. And his family has trol and we welcome Chinese if it’s temporarily closed in the normal travel, Yahya says. reopened since January, and group. “They can also enjoy pictur- moved into a new modern tourists,” Indonesian Tourism future, tourists can use other Some Chinese tourists have Chinese travel agencies have Chinese visitors especially esque views and the cultural apartment provided by the Minister Arief Yahya recently international airports in Sur- been traveling to the island started to send travel groups enjoy Indonesia’s coastlines, heritage of Indonesia.” government. told a news conference in Bei- abaya or Banyuwangi. since the eruptions. to Bali,” Yang says. islands, beaches and diving, Tourism authorities have “I’m happy,” he says. jing. The government promises Yang Fan, director of Bei- “However, it will take time Yahya says. developed travel packages “I’m fairly well off.” The consulate general of to offer a free night of accom- jing-based bespoke online for Bali’s tourism to return to The country is planning to from Jakarta and Palembang Snow may be a new ingredi- China in Denpasar modation and transport to travel agency 6renyou.com’s normal.” train more Chinese-speaking to other destinations in antici- ent that extends the allure of announced in early January Surabaya or Banyuwangi if short-itinerary business, Few group travelers visit guides and open a tourism-in- pation on the visitor influx, he Guizhou’s tourism charm that Chinese travelers should Ngurah Rai closes in the near recently visited the island. Mount Agung because it’s far formation center that offers adds. year-round. carefully plan their itineraries future. She noticed many five-star from the main tourism area. Chinese-language services. It seems likely many Chi- and monitor the volcano’s sta- Mount Agung is still active hotels provided updated “Those who want to enjoy Indonesia’s tourism minis- nese will be visiting Bali then Chen Zhuo contributed to tus and consulate notices. It but is about 70 kilometers information about the volca- magnificent volcano views try is also developing 10 prior- — and before and after. the story.