'Soft power' sparks love affair

I think I've fallen in love with Jiangsu.

The autumn colors and delectable cuisine were some of the highlights of my trip to the province, which is a major part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, development and transportation infrastructure projects linking Asia and Europe that were proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Jiangsu is one of the economic hubs of China, but with this trip I could feel its "soft power". Beside getting to know more about the province's port, manufacturing and e-commence sectors, trips to the Zheng He Treasure Ship Heritage Park and Xuzhou Museum were very exciting to me because they allowed me to learn more about China's history.

During this eight-day trip, I also appreciated the visit to Lianyungang. Lianyungang is a famous port in China; it is also where literary classic Journey to the West started.

Malaysian Chinese all know about the story, as well as the Monkey King and Huaguoshan from where he hailed. When I found out that the Lianyungang authorities were going to promote tourism, I felt that it was an important attraction for Journey to the West fans.

Even though Lianyungang mainly focuses on port services, I think that with this advantage, it will be able to attract more visitors, especially in autumn.

The second city that impressed was Xuzhou. Its tree-lined roads were especially scenic in autumn and I could feel that the Xuzhou government has put in a lot of effort to make the city greener and more livable.

This trip also allowed me to learn more about Jiangsu. Normally, Nanjing and Suzhou are the main cities in the province which Malaysians visit, but through this trip, I noticed that Jiangsu offered a lot of other attractions.

Even though we visited only four cities in Jiangsu on this trip, I really appreciated the organizers' efforts. Their excellent hospitality included an experience on the high-speed train from Nanjing to Xuzhou instead of a five-hour bus ride.

Jiangsu's "soft power" also comes in the form of its food. I could get a taste of the different local dishes of its various cities.

From Nanjing to Xuzhou, meals almost always included cold duck dishes. From Lianyungang to Suzhou, delicious noodles were served. Lianyungang also offered a generous bounty of seafood.

China Daily and the Jiangsu provincial government arranged a wonderful trip for us. The province offers many more interesting places and facets, which can be enjoyed at every step.

Lee Shew Yean is section chief of the Current News Desk at Kwong Wah Yit Poh in Malaysia.