China on Thursday saw its first flagged coastal cruise ship for international visitors set sail from the second home port in the coastal city of Shenzhen with more than 600 tourists onboard, in continuation of its voyage in China under a newly started China Coastal Cruise Inbound Tourism Program intended to boost inbound tourism.
The cruise ship "China Merchants Aden", to carry out eight scheduled voyages from September to November, uses Shanghai and Shenzhen as its two home ports.
The cruise entered Shenzhen's port on Tuesday after a week-long voyage starting from Shanghai with stops at multiple coastal cities including Zhoushan, Wenzhou, Fuzhou and Xiamen.
Upon arrival, foreign tourists were greeted with a cultural extravaganza.
The ceremony features traditional performances including Sichuan Opera's face-changing, traditional Chinese music and ethnic dance performances.
"It is very very big with a lot of people, (it is) very clean," said Charlie, a tourist.
"And I find it delightful, it's been a beautiful trip," said Antonita, another tourist.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) in May this year enacted a policy that allows visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
The policy applies to 13 Chinese coastal cities including Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Haikou and Sanya.
These tourists can stay in China for no more than 15 days.
China's first international coastal cruise sets sail from second home port
A remote village on China's southwestern border, where many residents only became Chinese citizens two decades ago, has been dramatically transformed by government-backed tourism initiatives and modern infrastructure development.
Daman Village, nestling in the mountains of Gelong Town in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few years. What's so special about this village is that out of its 89 households, 57 were officially granted Chinese citizenship in 2003. Now, thanks to significant government investment, the village is becoming a burgeoning tourist destination.
The newly completed mountain-view guesthouses, which represent one of the key government-funded projects, offer breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks draped in mist from their balcony.
"The total investment so far has exceeded 60 million yuan (about 8.55 million U.S. dollars). We're also constructing a tourist reception center and renovating many homes into guesthouses. This project marks the largest one we've undertaken since the villagers became Chinese citizens 20 years ago. It will not only boost local employment but also significantly increase incomes," said Kunchok Dorjee, Party Secretary of Chongdui Village, which administers Daman Village.
This sum of money represents the largest government investment in Daman Village since its formal establishment. Beyond tourism, the funding has been used to rebuild the homes of all 89 families.
Daman, meaning "cavalry" in Tibetan, traces its roots back to Gurkha soldiers native to ancient Nepal who, after allegedly losing a battle with the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) forces, became separated from their main army and remained stranded along the border.
For generations, their descendants roamed the borderlands between China, Nepal and India, without nationality or official status. Their long journey as a stateless people finally ended in 2003 when the Chinese government granted them citizenship, classifying them as Tibetan.
Xu Hongbin, originally from Chengdu City of southwest China's Sichuan Province, married a local woman from Daman Village. Reflecting on his first visit to the area a decade ago, Xu marveled at the changes the village has experienced in such a short period.
"A decade ago, there was only one road into the town. Now there are at least four. Everywhere you look, there are new buildings, guesthouses and restaurants. The development has been incredibly fast," he said.
Tourism fuels transformation in border village as residents mark 20 years of citizenship
