Sound bites

Editor's note: "Shanxi in the eyes of foreigners" participants share their thoughts on the trip to Shanxi.

"To call China a large country is the understatement of the year. And people looking to experience the 'real China' should not and need not limit themselves to the major cities. Go get out of the cities! Get away from the crowded tourist traps and see some of China's natural beauty. Don't know where to start? Try Shanxi."

Katelyn Sill, US, English teacher, Hangzhou Dianzi University

"Shanxi is a land of natural beauty. You can leave the modern city, say, Taiyuan, and enter a historical county, in Ningwu, and the natural beauty will take you in its arms and you'll feel you're in another world, especially when you see its natural scenery."

Hussain Zafar, Pakistan, researcher, Communication University of China

"Driving from the Shanxi capital, Taiyuan, to Ningwu, the view through the bus window kept changing dramatically. Heading north toward Luya Mountain, the traces of urban life gradually disappeared, giving way to fields of corn, blossoming sunflower crops, and deep cuts in the earth. It was a warm welcome to Shanxi's beautiful countryside."

Elaine Coetzee, South Africa, Ctrip web editor

"Anyone who has had the chance to visit many places in China can still find an amazing culture, tall mountains and beautiful grassland in Shanxi. The handpulled noodles with local taste and local vinegar, taste different from the 'authentic' Shanxi noodles of Beijing or Shanghai shops. And, my notion of a province with too many coal mines collapsed after I saw Luya Mountain capped by the Malun grasslands."

Ganesh Mudhun, India, guest service manager, Global Care Women & Children's Hospital, Beijing

"Traveling gives me beautiful memories and the opportunity to meet different people. For me, these memories are the most valuable part of my travels and they make me extremely happy. It seemed that our trip was overall too quickly. I felt so comfortable and happy in Shanxi that it felt like a home far away from my real home."

Haider Khalid, Pakistan PhD, Jiangsu University

"Shanxi is so magical that you really have to come and experience it for yourself. Fortunately, technology has advanced to such a point that it is now possible to do more complicated things much more easily. Rather than focusing on traditional digital mediums, I have been exploring more nextgeneration mediums. My goal during this trip was to capture as many 360-degree panoramic views as possible. I hope that this will give those viewing my work a true sense of the place and allow them to experience the beauty and breathtaking scenes almost as realistically as I did in person."

Kok Mun How, Malaysia, creative director, Digital Mirage Company

(China Daily 09/09/2016 page19)