China's diverse cultural resources and improved entry policies are drawing more international visitors to explore beyond the usual tourist trails.
In Beigou Village, in Huairou District of Beijing, located near Hebei and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, the community is home to more than 30 foreign families year-round. Recently, it welcomed a group of business travelers from Europe.
Daniel, a European entrepreneur leading the group, has been to China several times before. He has visited Shenzhen, Nanning, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong. But this time, instead of factory tours, he took his team to the Palace Museum and the Temple of Heaven. He said that cultural connections leave a deeper impression than product showcases.
The group stayed at a boutique hotel that was once an old brick kiln. Shards of glazed tiles sparkled underfoot, warm red-brick walls glowed, and a row of arched cave-like rooms stretched out one after another, simple, stylish and full of character.
"My mother is an architect, my father was an architect. So for me, anything that is related to traditional building styles, it's something I'm very much looking into and then looking at," he said.
The group visited a craft distillery tucked underground, where they saw grain turned into baijiu, a fiery Chinese liquor. They also tried their hand at making dumplings and pulling noodles with the help of hotel staff.
A young Hungarian traveler on his first trip to China said he had pictured the country's cities as smog-choked industrial hubs. The reality turned out to be entirely different.
"The weather is very good, cities are very modern. There are a lot of skyscrapers in China. I'm very amazed that the train's maximum speed is 350 kilometer per hour, so it's very shocking for me," said the Hungarian tourist.
Before arriving, Daniel's company, GNX Engineering Ltd., just completed a vanadium battery project in Dalian City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.
Over the past three years, the company has signed strategic cooperation agreements with several Chinese partners.
Moreover, Hungary was the first European country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China, and China has been Hungary's top source of foreign investment for three consecutive years, with new energy emerging as one of the most dynamic areas of bilateral cooperation.
With the extension of visa-free policies and more direct flights between the two countries, Hungarian travel groups are becoming a more common sight across China.
"We see a great opening and knowledge here in China. You have these very modern buildings and on the other hand you have the strong connection to the traditions. Anyone I've met wants to make travelers feel themselves very good wherever they are. I'm bringing my family next spring," said Daniel.
Cultural connections, easier access bring European travelers deeper into China
