‍Bright and colorful pictures depicting Chinese landscapes and cultural activities like lion dancing and paper-cutting are attracting hundreds of visitors at the opening of 2019 Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show on Saturday.

The Chinese booth is the largest exhibition area of 200 square meters at the Shaw Center in Ottawa. The beautifully-decorated booth, established by the Toronto Office of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is eye-catching at the two-day show, which has brought together nearly 300 exhibitors from more than 100 countries and regions across Asia, Africa, America and Europe.

Director Yang Wenting of the Toronto Office of the Chinese ministry told Xinhua that it is necessary to introduce to the Canadian people China's high-quality cultural and tourism resources as tourism has become a new highlight of cooperation between China and Canada in recent years.

2018 was the year of tourism between China and Canada, with nearly 1.6 million visits between the two countries. At present, there are nearly 200 flights a week between China and Canada, flying to 15 cities in China.

Yang said the China booth is designed to promote "Beautiful China Beyond Imagination" with the introduction of rich Chinese traditional culture, folk performance, folk music, Chinese food and interactive experience.

Some Canadians at the show told Xinhua that travel to China was their most favorable tour experience in a lifetime because of amazing natural scenery and profound cultural resources as well as brilliant historical sites and relics.

The annual Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show is a platform for travel agencies and industries to interact and network. Its primary objective is to bring into the lime light the importance and value of different types of products and services related to travel and the tourism industry in the recent times.

The event is considered one of the largest travel and leisure events in the world. During the show, tour professionals, agents and operators also hold seminars to share their knowledge and experience.

(People enjoy the Chinese folk music performance at the 2019 Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show in Ottawa, Canada, March 30, 2019. /Xinhua Photo)