Recreational Vehicles, or RVs, are still a new concept for most Chinese. But this particular way to travel is getting more attention in recent years. An international RV expo has just been held in the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu Province, for the second time, to develop RV travel, as well as boost local tourism.

Zhang Baozhu, 60 years old, has been traveling in his RV since retirement. He and his wife have covered a distance of more than 20,000 kilometers across the country for the past year. Different from traveling in a normal car, they've never had to rush for a hotel at night or for a restaurant at dinner time. And the couple is planning more routes for their next few years. Zhang says the RV was the best retirement present he gave himself, and he would like to recommend it to every visitor at the RV Expo. “I experienced a totally different lifestyle after I bought the RV. I had been very busy working and sometimes couldn’t meet my family for months. Now I’m retired, I’m finally able to make it up. My wife and I have traveled a lot in the past year. Compared to normal vehicles, RV traveling makes journeys more relaxed. We don’t need to rush to hotels or restaurants. Everything can be solved by ourselves.”


More than 200 RVs are on display at the second Jiayuguan International RV Expo. Different kinds are designed for different demands. 

Trade on the Silk Road played a significant role in the development of Chinese civilizations throughout the centuries, enriching the cultural and historical value of the northwestern region on the route. The local government says RV traveling is a good choice for this vast land and they are speeding up the construction of relevant infrastructure. "Currently, campsites are being built and developed across the country,” says Shen Lin, Vice Mayor of Jiayuguan City. “In the Northwestern region, in particular, we hope RV traveling will enable more people to know about the culture and history here.”

The three-day event also featured experts and business people discussing how to boost local tourism with the promotion of RV traveling, and at the same time, protect the thousands-year-old cultural heritage in the region.