Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

With more relaxed visa policies introduced by the Chinese government, rural tours exploring local intangible cultural heritage and niche travel routes in China's lower-tier cities and even counties have emerged as the top choice for many inbound tourists during the National Day holiday, providing them with a deeper insight into the country.

In Huangling Village of Wuyuan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, villagers performed the wooden-bench dragon dance, an intangible cultural heritage show where wooden benches are linked together to form a dragon adorned with various lantern decorations. This vibrant dance captivated numerous tourists.

"It's great, it's magic. And there was something about a dragon with some lanterns, and it was great, it was amazing. And after that, they fire some fireworks. So, it was great," said a tourist from Colombia.

In addition to rural tours to experience Chinese intangible cultural heritage, many tourists from countries such as the United States and Australia have been touring the Three Gorges -- Qutang, Wuxia, and Xiling gorges -- on the Yangtze River, combining cruises and hiking.

The route stretches from southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality to Yichang in Hubei Province, central China, passing through the Wushan Mountain and Wanzhou District in Chongqing.

"When I came to Wushan, I was so surprised how beautiful Wushan is. I never knew that Yangtze was so beautiful with such big mountains," said Deborah, a tourist from the United States.

"Having been here for a week or so, I found everyone to be just delightful. I would tell all my friends to come," said Richard, another American tourist.

Due to the large number of foreign tourists, this niche travel route has even gained popularity among young people in China.

On a night cruise adventure on the Yangtze River, tourists from both home and abroad sang and danced together to enjoy the holiday.

"I've been to a lot of places in China, and I've seen a lot, like, 16 cities. Especially about Wanzhou is first for me, it's further away from the big city, what makes it unforgettable for me on this trip," said Jonathan, a tourist from Germany.

The National Day holiday, spanning from Tuesday to the following Monday this year, marks a peak season for tourism in China.

Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

Rural tours, niche travel routes gain popularity among int'l tourists to China

For the first time in decades, three U.S. aircraft carriers are operating simultaneously in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command said on Friday.

The three carriers — the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS George H.W. Bush — are carrying more than 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines, according to the Central Command.

A day earlier, the command announced that the Bush carrier strike group had entered its area of responsibility and was currently in the Indian Ocean. The Bush, a Nimitz-class carrier, left Naval Station Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia in late March.

The Lincoln is conducting missions in the Arabian Sea, primarily tasked with enhancing U.S. maritime blockade operations, while the Ford is positioned in the northern Red Sea, where the U.S. claims that it is maintaining maritime security.

The Bush is expected to relieve the Ford, and during the handover period, the U.S. military is expected to maintain a three-carrier deployment posture in the region.

Meanwhile, an Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that Iran has never halted production of defense equipment, and the ministry is fully committed to meeting the needs of the armed forces across all situations, including combat readiness and ceasefire conditions.

The developments come as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire faces uncertainty, with Washington continuing its naval blockade and signaling possible military action.

Pakistan, meanwhile, is pushing to revive stalled U.S.-Iran talks, with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi expected to visit Pakistan for talks with Islamabad's mediation team and Washington saying key negotiators would also travel to Pakistan, raising speculation that a second round of U.S.-Iran talks could resume.

3 U.S. carriers operate simultaneously in Middle East for first time in decades: U.S. Central Command