An increasing number of Spanish citizens are choosing China for summer vacations, spurred by the country’s visa‑free policy and the rebound in international flights.
At Madrid's airport, flights from various Chinese cities have been arriving since early morning, and several Spanish travelers returning from China shared their positive experiences. Many described China as safe, advanced, and convenient.
"It was a wonderful experience that really surprised me. I think Spain should learn from China in several aspects as China is clearly more advanced now. It's a very surprising and delightful journey and the Chinese people were very friendly, always trying their best to help us," said Sara, a Spanish traveler.
"To be honest, we were initially concerned about communication and payment issues before traveling to China. After all, we would travel to a distant country. But later we found it was actually very convenient. There were translations available at different locations, and they were quite effective. We could pay for everything using mobile apps. Additionally, I felt it was very safe. We didn't have to worry about theft or robbery at all," said Manuel, another traveler.
Many Spanish tourists preparing for their trips to China are eager to experience its vibrant culture firsthand.
"I hope to learn more about Chinese culture, make local friends, and try Chinese cuisine. Most importantly, I just want to enjoy this trip to China," said Maria, a Spanish tourist.
Santiago, another local resident who plans to visit, said "We've never been to China before. We've heard it's a great and fascinating country, so we want to experience it for ourselves. I follow a lot of things about China on social media and we're very curious and eager to explore."
Increasing number of Spanish travelers choose China for summer vacations
As floodwaters from Typhoon Maysak receded, the jasmine fields of China's "jasmine capital" Hengzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region sprang back to life, with the local flower market welcoming its peak buying season.
In early July, the typhoon drenched the region with storm and flood, inundating nearly 60 percent of Hengzhou's jasmine plantations, totaling around 100,000 mu (about 6,700 hectares).
Government relief and company support have spurred a swift recovery, with farmers once again hauling freshly picked jasmine blossoms into Hengzhou's Shijing trading market.
The current harvest is the first post-disaster flush from the less-damaged fields. Though yields are lower, having flowers to sell cheered local farmers up.
"My home was flooded for around four or five days. The government helped, and the whole jasmine chain has been rebuilt by now," said farmer Li Yeji.
As the jasmine market entered its peak procurement window, tight supply drove prices to 82 yuan (about 12 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, which is twice the usual rate.
"If growers see plenty of tea companies still buying, it gives them a real boost," said Chen Hongfei, marketing director at a local agritech firm.
"We can get through this. At these prices, we are definitely happy," local farmer Zhou Ailian went straight forward.
From the business side, tea merchant Lin Yongjian, who has worked in Hengzhou for years, saw his daily flower intake plunge to 30 percent of normal levels. He has juggled production schedules to fulfill orders while paying more to reassure growers.
"We raised prices early on to restore growers' confidence, and handed out free medicine and fertilizer to affected farmers. We are doing everything to help them recover and improve flower quality," he said.
With more farmers back in the fields, the daily trading volume at the Hengzhou jasmine market has climbed to roughly 400,000 kilograms.
"The new-style tea beverage industry currently has a large jasmine demand. As the weather improves and temperatures rise, we are fully confident about the jasmine production ahead," said Luo Yuzhen, head of the local flower tea association.
Typhoon‑hit jasmine industry in Guangxi rebounds as farmers return to fields
