The Development of China's Tourism Industry
Since the reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, when Deng Xiaoping decided to promote tourism vigorously as a means of foreign exchange, China started to develop its tourist industry. Scenic and historic spots were renovated and reopened to tourists on its way to becoming a major tourist destination worldwide. The numerous natural and historical tourist resources had their chance to welcome guests from all over the world.
Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow
Speaking of tourism in China, it’s better to get to the story of one particular animal at first. If you are a fan of China and Chinese culture, you must have heard of “Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow”. Unearthed in Gansu Province in 1969, it is a bronze galloping horse, now reserved in Gansu Museum. It was cast in the late Han Dynasty, portraying an artistic concept through exaggeration in a romantic way. The horse, with strong trunks and long legs, screams with its head held up high. However, it appears quite swift when galloping with three legs in the flight and one foot on the flying swallow. It was announced as the emblem of tourism in China by China National Tourism Administration in 1983.
This masterpiece of bronze sculpture in Chinese history unfolds the history of tourism in China. In Han Dynasty, the horse served as an important form of transportation, military equipment and animal force in agriculture. Carriages and horses feature the tomb murals and stone relief. Han Dynasty was well-known for its contribution to opening new frontiers, in which horses played a unique role. They were extensively used in posts, defense of the Great Wall, military actions and marriages for making peace with rulers of minority nationalities in the border areas. It can be said that horses, with its indispensable role in ancient China, leave their traces, as well as their contributions, in all of the historical sites and scenery in China.
The Thriving Tourist Market in China
Thanks to its rich tourist resources—high mountains, beautiful rivers, springs and waterfalls, rich and varied folk customs, rare species, scenic spots and historical sites, distinctive opera, music and dance, and world-famous cuisine—China attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists every year. Tourism has always been an important industry in China.
Tourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades. China has become one of the world’s hottest outbound tourist markets.
China is emerging as the country with the world’s highest growth rate for outbound tourism. According to a survey conducted by an international tourism monitoring agency of Asia-Pacific region, the average daily expenses (excluding purchases) of a Chinese tourist during one long holiday amounts to 175 USD.
In 2017, tourism contributed about 8.77 trillion CNY (1.35 trillion USD), 11.04% of the GDP, and contributed direct and indirect employment opportunities for up to 28.25 million people. There were 139.48 million inbound trips and five billion domestic trips. The World Tourism Organization predicts that by 2020 China will be the world’s top tourist destination, and fourth in outbound tourist numbers with 100 million Chinese people traveling abroad every year.
Abundant Natural Tourist Resources in China
Natural Tourist Resources
Basically, tourist resources in China can be divided into three main groups: natural sites, historical and cultural sites and folk customs. As for natural resources, countless mountains, lakes, valleys, caves and waterfalls in China leap to our eyes. The 5,000 years of history endows China with lots of places of interest. When it comes to natural resources and natural wonders, China also leads the list as it offers a plethora of naturally wonderful places to visit.
Mount Taishan in the east, Mount Hengshan in the south, Mount Huashan in the west, Mount Hengshan in the north, and Mount Songshan in the center of China have been called the Five Sacred Mountains since antiquity. Mount Taishan, which snakes through central Shandong Province, is admired by Chinese as paramount among them.
Another mountain celebrated for its beauty is Mount Huangshan in southern Anhui Province, known for its graceful pines, unusual rocks, cloud seas and hot springs.
Jiuzhaigou, Huangguoshu Waterfalls, and Guilin are all located in southwestern China. Jiuzhaigou in northern Sichuan Province is a beautiful “fairyland valley” running over 40 km through snow-covered mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and forest. The Huangguoshu Waterfalls in Guizhou Province are a group of waterfalls, 18 above- ground and four below, which can be heard from five kilometers away. The Lijiang River in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region winds its way through karst peaks for 82 km between Guilin and Yangshuo.
On the plateau in northern China are many spectacular lakes. The Tianchi (Heavenly Pool) in the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang Autonomous Region is 1,980 meters above sea level. This 105-meter deep lake is crystal clear, the high mountains surrounding it carpeted with green grass and colorful flowers.
Mount Qomolangma is the highest peak in the world. Its Tibetan meaning of “Goddess the Third” adds more mysterious color and magic power to the subject. As a result, it has intrigued all kinds of people since it was first discovered. Pilgrims trek long distances to present a pious worship, climbing enthusiasts take great risks to challenge its high altitude and the ordinary tourists also yearn for a reverent look at this holy peak.
The altitude of Mount Qomolangma is now about 8,844.43 m. It is the dominant peak of Himalayas, with the northern brae in Tingri County of Tibet and the southern in Nepal.
The Taklamakan Desert, also known as Taklimakan, is a desert in Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. As one of the largest sand deserts in the world, the Taklimakan Desert covers an area of 330,000 km2. It is bounded by the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamir Mountains and Tian Shan to the west and north. Two branches of the Silk Road crossed its northern and southern edges as travelers sought to avoid the arid wasteland. “Taklimakan” means that you can never get out of the place once you step into it. The sand hills in the desert are 300 m high. When wind blows the sand up, the hills can reach a height of 900 m.
Rich Cultural Tourist Resources in China
Apart from natural tourist resources, cultural tourist resources in China are also world-class, several of which even belong to world wonders. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terra-Cotta Warriors are all must-see attractions. China has over 100 historical and cultural cities, many of which have a history of over 1,000 years. Strolling in these cities in person might be the best way to capture and understand the glorious history and culture in China.
Historical and Cultural Sites
China’s long history has left many cultural relics and the title of “China Top Tourist City” has gone to the first group of 54 cities. The Great Wall, a national symbol of China, is also a prime example of historical sites that have become major tourist attractions.
As the greatest defense-structure project in the history of human civilization, it dates back to the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods more than 2,000 years ago —huge in its scale and grandeur, it rates as a world wonder. There are 10 sections of the Great Wall open to tourists, including the passes, blockhouses and beacon towers at Badaling in Beijing, Laolongtou in Hebei Province and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province.
Grottoes filled with precious murals and sculptures are concentrated along the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province. The best known are the Mogao Caves, a “treasure house of oriental art,” with 492 caves with murals and statues on the cliff faces. There are 45,000 m2 of murals and over 2,100 colorful statues, all of high artistry and imagination. In the south, grotto art is represented in Sichuan Province by the Leshan Giant Buddha, carved into a cliff face. 71 m high and 28 m wide, it is the largest sitting Buddha in stone, showing the superb carving skill of ancient craftsmen.
The Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, the birthplace of Chinese Zen Buddhism and famous for its Shaolin kungfu, dates back to 495 A. D. Here can be seen the Ming period Five-Hundred-Arhats Mural and Qing period Shaolin kungfu paintings.
In central China’s Hubei Province, beautiful Wudang Mountain, with 72 grotesque peaks in 30 sq km, is a sacred site of Taoism, which preserves China’s most complete, largest and best ancient Taoist architecture. In western Sichuan Province, Mount Emei, dotted with ancient Buddhist temples and structures, is one of China’s four holy Buddhist mountains.
Most of China’s 101 cities classified as famous historical and cultural cities are over 1,000 years old. Suzhou and Hangzhou, long known as “paradise on earth”, are crisscrossed with rivers, lakes, bridges, fields and villages, as beautiful as paintings. Ancient Lijiang in Yunnan Province is not only the center of Dongba culture of the Naxi ethnic group but also a meeting place for the cultures of Han, Tibetan and Bai ethnicities. Built in the Song Dynasty, this city has many stone bridges, stone memorial arches and dwelling houses, which provide precious materials for architectural history and can be called a “living museum of ancient dwelling houses”.
Folk Customs
The diverse cultures and Lifestyles of China’s 56 ethnic groups are reflected in their festivals. The biggest Tibetan festival, Shoton (Yogurt) Festival, is also the setting for the Tibetan Theatrical Festival, when for five days every summer Tibetan theatrical groups perform and compete in the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. Another summer festival is the Nadam Fair in the Mongolian grasslands, where attractions include wrestling, horse racing and archery competitions.
“March Street” celebrated by the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan Province, is associated with the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy suppressing a devil to help the Bai people. It became traditional to burn incense and offer sacrifices to commemorate her virtues every year and the festival has become a major annual gathering for Bai commercial, cultural and sports activities.
The Water - Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, is a lively occasion taking place in the spring. People chase and pour water (a symbol of good luck and happiness) over each other, among other activities such as dragon boat racing and peacock dance.
