Guangxi visitor show wins acclaim at UN headquarters

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Dozens of pictures were exhibited at a recent tourism show at United Nations headquarters in New York featuring the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China.

Think picturesque rivers and mountains, silver beaches, an open-air banquet held by dressed-up minority groups and a smiling old lady sitting in the doorway of her home in "Longevity Village."

Official figures show that Guangxi received 520 million visits last year. Some 5.125 million from outside the Chinese mainland stayed at least one night in the southern China region. Some 135,000 visitors were from the United States.

Since 2012, China has been the No. 1 outbound tourism expenditure country in the world, with over 3 million Chinese citizens visiting the United States last year.

At the same time, the number of American visitors to China has been growing steadily, averaging about 2.1 million annually.

Apart from the exhibition of pictures, the promotional show included a video of sceneries and ethnic cultures, a presentation punctuated with rewarded Q&A activities and an introduction of airlines, attracting some 150 participants from governments, the tourism industry, airline companies and media from both China and the United States.

An aerial view of Huixian Town in Guilin in Guangxi. /VCG Photo

Li Bin, vice chairman of the government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said Guangxi hopes to learn from New York's experience as a metropolitan attracting a great number of visitors, and aims to build a series of recreational areas in such places as Guilin, Beibu Bay, Bama as well as China-Vietnam border areas.

Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of China in New York Qian Jin said both China and the United States are major tourism countries.

Mutual visits by the peoples of the two countries have not only enriched the knowledge of each other's food, scenery, culture and history, but also promoted mutual understanding and trust, Qian said.

"Tourism has become a bridge between our two countries," he said.

He encouraged the participants to put Guangxi onto their travel plans and pledged on behalf of his office to continue to play an active role in promoting bilateral tourism exchanges and cooperation.

A Zhuang girl in terraced rice fields. /VCG Photo

Characterized by spectacular landscapes, charming natural scenery and diverse ethnic customs, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is an impressive area to visit.

It faces the Beibu Gulf on the South China Sea and has a border with Vietnam to the southwest. The capital city Nanning is also known as the "Green City" because of its rich lush tropical plants, while Guilin and Yangshuo are known for their unparalleled beauty. There are many sites worth visiting such as the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces in Longsheng, Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge.

Source(s): China Daily