Expats blaze path to greater understanding

Editor’s note: When Sino-Egyptian economic relations are further enhanced by the opening of the New Suez Canal and the Belt and Road Initiative, many Egyptians will be making their livings in China, and using their personal backgrounds to contribute to a more consolidated people-to-people contact.

An Egyptian guide advocates hiking in China, saying tourism can lead to greater understanding.

Egypt has become a popular tourist destination for Chinese, with many flocking to see the natural wonders and relics of its ancient civilization, yet relatively few Egyptians are traveling in the other direction.

Software engineer and part-time hiking guide Karim Muhammad thinks that has to change.

The 31-year-old resident of Shanghai for more than three years says more needs to be done to attract his fellow countrymen to visit the Middle Kingdom, so they can better understand Chinese culture, and share theirs with the Chinese.

Stereotypes still exist, he said. “I was once asked by a Shanghai taxi driver whether I lived in a pyramid. Many people back in Egypt also think similar things, such as Chinese people eat everything on the Great Wall.”

In 2014, Muhammad and several friends set up Xuantu Sport Development (Shanghai) Ltd, a hiking company that runs tours along some of China’s best trails, mainly catering to international visitors.

He said the company provides a small but effective way to show people China’s wonders, adding that the country’s varied landscapes would tempt many Egyptian hikers－as evidenced by the response he receives back home to his Facebook posts.

“The landscapes (in China and Egypt) are so distinct from each other, apart from some desert areas,” he said. “So it’s worth introducing and experiencing.”