A Belgian student said she was deeply impressed by China's advanced technology and the hospitality of the Chinese people during her recent trip to the country.
Sofia, a student of Chinese studies at KU Leuven, went to several Chinese cities including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Suzhou for a two-week exploration of the country.
Talking to a China Media Group (CMG) reporter in Belgium, she explained why China is an ideal destination for vacation.
"You can go to the north, and there's snow and all that winter [scenery]. Go to the south, you can experience more like hot or the sea or something like that. You can go to the west and there's more like desert and all that. I feel like anything you want to do, you can do it in China," said Sofia.
In addition to its natural scenery and traditional culture, China's constantly emerging new technologies, business models, and consumer experiences are also becoming key factors in attracting overseas tourists.
A growing number of young Europeans hope to visit China in person to experience its development and changes firsthand, rather than simply learning about the country through social media.
"I've always seen it on videos here about the robots, but to experience it [makes me realize] that we live already in a world that we have robots and they're progressing super fast. It was super fun, but it was like, whoa! I feel like China is very ahead of us, very ahead of us. And that's so impressive," Sofia said.
Aside from the convenient lifestyle and rich travel experiences, what left the deepest impression on the student was the warmth and friendliness of the Chinese people. In her view, the sincere and open interaction between people also made the trip all the more memorable.
"The people are very talkative. They're super kind when speaking with you," she said.
China's optimized visa-free and transit visa-free policies have fueled the growing popularity of inbound travel.
According to data from the National Immigration Administration, the number of foreign visitors entering China reached nearly 23 million in the first half of this year, a year-over-year increase of 20 percent. Among them, over 17 million entered under visa-free arrangements, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total.
Belgian student's China journey leaves lasting impression of warmth, modernization
Belgian student's China journey leaves lasting impression of warmth, modernization
