Chongqing Municipality in southwest China has pledged to integrate human resources and upgrade technology to position itself as the benchmark for advancing development in western China and cooperation among Belt and Road (BRI) partner countries, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's inspection tour of the city on Monday and Tuesday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited an international logistics hub in Chongqing on Monday to learn about local efforts to accelerate the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in western China.
The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, established at the Tuanjiecun railway station, plays a pivotal role in both the economic advancement of China's western region and collaboration among BRI partner countries.
Back in 2011, the Tuanjiecun railway station served as the departure point for the inaugural China-Europe freight train bound for Germany. More than a decade later, it continues to be a significant transportation hub, seamlessly connecting China and Europe.
The park has direct access to an impressive network of 62 international train routes and facilitates trade through over 500 ports spanning 100 countries.
Hao Chong, the Party Secretary at the station, said he was excited to see President Xi at the park, and Xi spoke to him as well as other staff members.
"He [President Xi] asked how much freight the park can load and unload. I told him records have been set in the past two months: 841 cargo trains loaded on March 29 and 1,118 trains unloaded on April 11. He then said the capability is quite big. He also asked about our livelihood, like how much money we earn – and that touched us," said Hao.
President Xi later held a meeting in Chongqing where he stressed that it is necessary to promote the development of the western region consistently and make greater strides in opening up and high-quality development.
The western region including Chongqing is pivotal in China's reform and development. President Xi has inspected the region over 30 times since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.
Over the past five years alone, the region has dispatched 35,000 China-Europe freight trains, accounting for half of China's overall total. With the western region, including Chongqing, continuing to exploit its developmental potential, China's modernization is moving forward at an accelerated pace.
Chongqing aims to spearhead western China's development, BRI cooperation
During the five-day May Day holiday from May 1 to May 5, travel destinations in lower-tier markets achieve a substantial surge in popularity, with improved infrastructure and enhanced hospitality capabilities.
Data from Ctrip, China's leading online travel agency, showed that hotel bookings and scenic spot ticket orders in county-level markets soared 68 percent and 151 percent respectively during the holiday, which ended on Sunday.
The smaller and county-level cities of Tumushuke, Baoshan, Huaihua, Chifeng, Hetian and Heze saw a sharp increase in air ticket bookings.
The tourism boom in these markets is attributed to the great improvement of infrastructure facilities in rural areas and the development of characteristic towns, according to experts.
"The rural service level along highways is constantly improving. The construction of service stations along highways, the improvement of environment and the upgrading of parking lots and charging facilities have all provided a strong support for the industrial development along highways," said Liu Dongmei, deputy director of the big data industry research and development center of the Research Institute of Highway under the Ministry of Transport.
To attract tourists, the county-level authorities have launched many entertainment activities and programs with local uniqueness.
In the suburb of Shanwei City in south China's Guangdong Province, folk artists performed kylin (a mythical creature in Chinese legend) dance to welcome tourists from far away.
"The performance is fantastic and full of traditional cultural elements," said a tourist while watching the kylin dance.
In Chengjiang City in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local villagers performed the grass lion dance to entertain tourists. The lion is made of grass and tree branches.
"This is the first time I've seen the grass lion dance. It's a novel experience to me because I've never seen it anywhere else," said a tourist named Shen Qi.
Meanwhile, in Nanjing City of east China's Jiangsu Province, many people spent the holiday in the countryside, where they could not only enjoy beautiful scenery, but taste the delicacies made by local farmers.
"The tofu made in this way tastes more delicious. It reminds me of my childhood," said a tourist surnamed Zhu.
Pingliang City in northwest China's Gansu Province is home to the Kongtong Mountain – a national 5A-level tourist attraction.
Many villages in the city have further tapped into their abundant natural resources to offer tourists with new traveling experience.
Xigou Village launched activities such as outdoor camping, gliding, and horse riding to entertain tourists. Haizhaigou Village has built a magnificent glass skywalk extending more than 600 meters and with an altitude of about 100 meters. Sigou Village has turned cave dwellings (unique houses commonly seen in northwest China) into restaurants and launched activities such as fruit and vegetable picking for tourists.
"This place is near the Kongtong Mountain and boasts water and other natural resources. I feel quite free with the breeze blowing on my face," said a tourist named Sun Cheng.
China sees tourism boom in county-level markets during May-day holiday
