Central and southern China lure tourists
CENTRAL and southern
China are becoming
popular with tourists,
offering lively cities, rich
cultural sites and spectacularly
wild terrain.
“With an incredible diversity
of landscapes that include
icy peaks, dense jungles and
sandy beaches, central and
southern China are equally
rich in culture and historic
sites,” says Rene Swart, tour
operations manager at China
expert, Wendy Wu Tours.
She suggests the following
must-see attractions:
• Shanghai, on the estuary
of the Yangtze River, is
China’s biggest city and a
global financial hub. Western
customs and Chinese
traditions intertwine and
skyscrapers and shikumen
(traditional Shanghai houses)
together draw the skyline of
the city. The Bund, a colonial
era waterfront promenade,
contrasts with the futuristic
skyline of Pudong across
the Huangpu River. Mustsee attractions are the
632m Shanghai Tower, the
Oriental Pearl TV Tower
with its revolving restaurant
and Shanghai Urban
Development Museum, the
Yu Garden’s pavilions, towers
and ponds, Nanjing Road
and Xiangyanglu Market for
shopping, and Shanghai
Disneyland Park to entertain
the kids.
• Xi’an in central China
marks the Silk Road’s
eastern end and was
home to the Zhou, Qin,
Han and Tang dynasties’
ruling houses. The most
popular attraction is
the Terracotta Army –
thousands of life-size,
hand-moulded figures
buried with China’s first
emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
This Unesco World
Heritage Site is usually
crowded, so advise clients
to get there early in the
morning.
Clients can visit the
emperor’s mausoleum site
museum; the mausoleum
of the first Qin Emperor;
the Huaqinggong relic site,
the Lintong museum with
Chinese artifacts from
3 000 years ago, and the
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
built in 652 during the Tang
dynasty. Says Rene: “You
see sites once inhabited
by China’s primitive
people, admire Bronze
Age items, wander through
city ruins, explore Imperial
tombs, admire temples
and pagoda courtyards,
trace vestiges of the Silk
Road and study stone
inscriptions in Chinese
calligraphy.”
• Hangzhou, the capital
of Zhejiang province, is
the southern terminus of
the ancient Grand Canal
waterway, which originates
in Beijing. Its West Lake,
celebrated by poets and
artists since the 9th
century, encompasses
islands (reachable by boat),
temples, pavilions, gardens
and arched bridges. On its
southern bank stands the
five-storey Leifeng Pagoda.
Its subtropical climate
makes Hangzhou one
of China’s most popular
travel destinations all year
round. Rene suggests:
“Tell your clients to take a
stroll along the causeway
by the lake. They’ll feel the
peacefulness of the city
and better understand its
fame as Heaven on Earth.”
• Chengdu, the capital of
Sichuan province, is known
as the ‘Country of Heaven’
and ‘Land of Abundance’.
Its history dates back to
the 4th century BC, when
it served as capital of the
Shu Kingdom. Artifacts
from that dynasty are
the focus of the Jinsha
Site Museum. Arguably,
its biggest attraction is
the famous Chengdu
Research Base of
Giant Panda Breeding,
a conservation centre
where visitors can view
endangered giant pandas
in their natural habitat.
• Guilin is considered the
pearl of China’s tourist
industry because of
its natural beauty and
historic treasures. It is
situated in a dramatic
landscape of limestone
hills. At its centre are
two lakes, Shanhu and
Ronghu, the remains
of a medieval-era moat
that once surrounded
the city. Twin pagodas,
the Sun and the Moon,
are situated on the
shore. “The strangely
shaped hills with verdant
vegetation ranging from
bamboo to conifers,
together with crystal-clear
waters and wonderful
caves, make this an
appealing destination,”
explains Rene.
Singapore Airlines market
development manager,
Sally George, suggests
that clients visit the
historic towns of Nanjing
and Suzhou, cruise on the
Yangtze River, and climb
the Avatar mountains in
Zhangjiajie National Park
and Shangri-La mountain in
Yunnan.
More capacity between SA and China
FROM March 31,
Singapore Airlines has
increased its services from
Johannesburg to Singapore
to 10 times weekly with the
introduction of a night flight,
departing Johannesburg
at 22h30 on Sundays,
Wednesdays and Fridays.
It arrives in Singapore at
14h55 the following day,
says the airline’s Sally
George.
She says the airline’s
daily service from Cape
Town via Johannesburg
to Singapore is
performing well. The
airline offers excellent
onward connections to
destinations in China.
Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific
says the market has
responded well to its first
seasonal non-stop service
between Cape Town
and Hong Kong, which
concluded on February 18.
Asish Kapur, country
manager for South Africa
and Indian Ocean, says:
“We are keen to bring
back the service out
of Cape Town in the
future. The load factors
have been healthy and
the overall response
positive. We are in the
process of consolidating
feedback and numbers
to review and gear up
for the next season. Our
trade partners and our
customers have shown
great excitement for a
non-stop flight between
Cape Town and China. The
Airbus A350-900 deployed
on the route received
positive feedback. The
route also witnessed good
inbound support from the
Cathay Pacific network,
especially from Mainland
China.”
Shop ‘til you drop!
CENTRAL and South China
are, without doubt, some
of the world’s biggest and
most popular shopping
destinations.
Mention shopping and
the first place that comes
to mind is Hong Kong,
to which South Africans
can fly daily, direct from
Johannesburg on Cathay
Pacific and South African
Airways. “The sheer variety
of products is dizzying,”
says Rene Swart of
Wendy Wu Tours. “Every
budget, need and whim
are catered for in an
impressive assortment
of venues. Glitzy malls
(like Landmark Mall, the
Citygate Outlets, Pacific
Palace and Harbour City
Mall) are just a few of the
many options on offer.
There are side-street
boutiques and vintage
dens where fashionistas
find their gems, nerdy
gadget bazaars and a mix
of markets where you can
haggle to your heart’s
content. The city has no
sales tax so prices are
generally attractive to
visitors.”
“There are many popular
shopping destinations
on Mainland China
too,” says Asish Kapur,
Cathay Pacific country
manager for South Africa
and Indian Ocean. He
recommends shopping
at the Xujiahui shopping
district in Shanghai,
which includes large
malls, multiplex cinemas
and chain restaurants.
Specialist shopping hubs
include Grand Gateway 66,
for international designer
brands, and Metro City,
known for its electronics
market.
“Shanghai is a shopping
mecca, especially for
branded luxury fashion,
but there are also pop-up
boutiques, bustling markets,
cool vintage shops and
young designer outlets,”
agrees Rene. “Beyond
clothing, you’re also spoiled
for choice, whether you’re
in the market for antiques,
ceramics, art, Tibetan
jewellery… or whatever is
on your shopping list,” she
says.
Singapore Airlines’ Sally
George says the best
shopping in Central and
South China can be found
in Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Shenzhen.
Ethiopian Airlines’
spokesperson, Tsegaye
Girma Wubeshet, adds
Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xiamen,
Chengdu, Wuhan, Ningbo
and Yiwu to the list.
