"Building a world-renowned city and creating a globally travel-friendly city means examining Yangzhou from the perspective of foreigners and promoting our historic and cultural city to the world in an international language," said Wang Zhihai, Director of the Yangzhou Municipal Bureau of Tourism, in an interview with China News Service. At the invitation of the bureau, five travel enthusiasts from the Americas, Europe, and Africa visited the ancient city of Yangzhou to "find flaws." They experienced, explored, and evaluated Yangzhou’s tourism offerings through independent travel.
On the 14th, the five international travel enthusiasts arrived in Yangzhou after traveling across the ocean, kicking off their exploration of the ancient city.
According to Wang Zhihai, the five overseas travel enthusiasts — hailing from the Americas, Europe, and Africa — are all seasoned travelers with extensive experience. Devon from Virginia, USA, has visited 21 countries, having traveled south through South American nations such as Chile and Argentina, and also left his footprints in Africa and Australia. For this trip, Devon passed through countries in South Asia like Nepal before finally arriving in China and reaching Yangzhou. Steve from Indiana, USA, has traveled to 23 countries. Nikki from Georgia, USA, shares a similarly rich background, having visited Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and India. Tommy from Nigeria has spent a year living in London, while Esra, a Turkish-German who has lived in Germany, is also a well-traveled adventurer.
"These five international travel enthusiasts are visiting Yangzhou for the first time and do not speak Chinese. From the moment they arrive, there will be no pre-planned tourist routes, no guided services from travel agencies, nor any accompanying foreign language interpreters. They will independently complete their exploration of Yangzhou," Wang Zhihai told reporters. The only resources provided to the five visitors throughout their stay in Yangzhou are a bilingual (Chinese-English) tourism website, a bilingual travel guide, and a hand-drawn bilingual city map of Yangzhou.
The visit of the five international travelers to Yangzhou comes with a mission — they are required to submit an experience report upon completion. "The experience report focuses on how Yangzhou’s tourism can integrate into the global context. We ask them to provide feedback based on their firsthand experiences. In their 'foreign eyes,' do our scenic spots have shortcomings? Can our hotels and guesthouses meet international standards? Are our tourism signage in line with global norms? Can our Huaiyang cuisine and delicate snacks appeal to visitors from abroad? Are our tourism products authentic and reasonably priced? Can our entertainment offerings capture their interest? Will their trip to Yangzhou be filled with joy, or will they feel out of place?" Wang said.
Yangzhou, known as "the most Jiangnan-like ancient city north of the Yangtze River," boasts a history of nearly 2,500 years. It has experienced three golden ages — flourishing in the Han Dynasty, thriving in the Tang Dynasty, and reaching its peak in the Qing Dynasty — and once became a world-famous city. Today, Yangzhou is already a renowned city in Jiangsu and China, and is accelerating its efforts to become a global city, reviving its former glory. As Xie Zhengyi, Secretary of the Yangzhou Municipal Committee, said, "We remain committed to culture as our soul, excavating and refining the essence of Yangzhou’s historical and cultural heritage, and telling the story of Yangzhou in an international perspective and global language."
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