The large-scale online-offline event “Splendid Silk Road, Auspicious Gansu” – A 7-Day, 7-Night Inspirational Journey with HowToTrip, jointly organized by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission and hosted by HowToTrip, will officially kick off on July 1, 2017. At that time, 16 travel influencers will showcase diverse perspectives of the Gansu experience.
This event is carried out through an interactive format combining online recruitment via HowToTrip and offline field exploration. For the first time, it promotes itself widely under the slogan “Splendid Silk Road, Auspicious Gansu,” leveraging the 7-Day, 7-Night Inspirational Journey with HowToTrip as a flagship activity to establish the new brand concept of “Auspicious Gansu.” Based on Gansu’s premium tourism resources, four major themed travel routes are introduced: the Self-driving Adventure Tour, the Yellow River Heritage Tour of China, the Dreamlike Silk Road Tour, and the Hui & Tibetan Culture Tour. These explore Gansu's Silk Road culture, premium routes, folk customs, natural scenery, specialty cuisine, and transportation infrastructure from multiple dimensions, producing rich and innovative content assets.
It is understood that the 16 seasoned travel influencers—each with distinct personalities, professions, and age groups—come from cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Xi'an, Hunan, and Hubei. They possess strong literary skills, solid writing abilities, and photography expertise, with many having produced high-quality works and built a loyal follower base. Passionate about travel and well-traveled, they offer unique insights. Over the 7-day, 7-night journey, they will visit more than 40 scenic spots including the First Bend of the Yellow River, Zhangye Danxia, Maiji Mountain in Tianshui, Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and Langmu Temple in Luqu, embarking on a splendid and auspicious journey through Gansu.
Located along the golden section of the Silk Road, Gansu resembles a jade ruyi (a traditional Chinese ornament symbolizing good fortune) embedded in northwestern China. With a long history, breathtaking natural landscapes, and a vibrant tapestry of ethnic cultures, Gansu carries forward the glorious heritage of the Silk Road. From the historic winds of the Silk Road and the scenic wonders of Hexi Corridor, where countless historical relics along the 3,000-year-old trade route bear witness to East-West cultural exchanges, to the convergence of three major plateaus and river basins offering 3,000 miles of picturesque natural splendor, Gansu is blessed with remarkable sights. Its shape resembling a “jade ruyi” marks it as land of good fortune. Home to diverse ethnic groups—including Han, Tibetan, Hui, Mongolian, Yugur, Dongxiang, and Bonan peoples—it boasts rich and distinctive ethnic customs.