At NYC show, future travelers get glimpse of China's wonders

By immersing visitors into the features of China's vibrant culture and cities, booths representing the country at the 2024 New York Travel & Adventure Show captivated and motivated potential tourists.

Historic locations such as the ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi province, major cities such as Hangzhou and Nanjing, and the renowned cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, which merge their deep historical culture with modern urban lifestyles, were on display at the two-day event during the weekend.

"How amazing that I get to work with an artist!" Daisy Arroyo, 53, of Bronx, told China Daily. She was collaborating with a woodblock printing artist and created a piece of a dragon.

"I love art, and Chinese food is amazing, the culture is beautiful and welcoming. I'm looking forward to traveling to China," she said. "I've looked forward to it many years, but I think maybe now it is more accessible."

Arroyo said she also was excited to experiment with ink, brushes and Xuan paper. She also received a picture of the zodiac signs that she likes to follow, illustrated with a dragon. She said she also wants to visit the Big Buddha and do some meditation.

Wei Zhongli, curator of the Hangzhou Ten Bamboo Studio Art Museum, traveled from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province to present traditional woodblock printing, sharing the story of Chinese traditional artwork.

"This is not just a dragon. This is a 'cute' dragon. Foreigners might think that the traditional dragons in our Chinese mythology are a bit 'fierce', but in our culture, dragons have both a dignified aspect and a cute side," he said.

"This is also a 'living fossil' of one of the four great inventions, printing technology, which allows people all over the world to understand a traditional culture."

Danmay Sahi, a visitor who tried the virtual reality experience of Hangzhou city, told China Daily: "I love everything in general. I love the infrastructure; it's really cool. There are some insane trains that are supposed to be really fast.

"Being in the US makes us very curious about other countries and cultures, and thus we are interested in visiting other countries," he said.

"People like to travel. I don't see anything that is not great about our relationship — Americans love Chinese food and buy a lot of Chinese things, and Chinese people come to the US to study, visit and shop," he said, adding that visiting China is "definitely on the list".

Ma Yunfei, the director of the China National Tourist Office, told China Daily: "American locals are particularly interested in our Chinese culture and cuisine. Now, especially, they are interested in our domestic 'ice and snow' tourism, seeing the boom in our domestic travel market.

"It's necessary to engage in exchanges with the international community upon full reopening post-pandemic. We'd love to strengthen exchanges between China and the United States, showcasing China's tourism, resources, and culture," he added.

"We see that many Americans are eager to travel to China as soon as possible. Many issues regarding visas have already been resolved. In terms of convenience, we are working to increase our flight capacity and lower ticket prices to facilitate more travel," Ma said.