Sensational Sichuan province promotes its cultural symbols in Europe

Sichuan has launched a series of tourism campaigns in Finland and the Czech Republic to help the province become a more international destination and attract more visitors from Europe, local officials said.

The two main campaigns, titled "Beautiful Sichuan, More Than Pandas" and "The Journey of Famed Sichuan Cuisine Restaurants", are part of the province's efforts to expand its presence in the European market and bring about more international exchanges.

"There is a huge potential for long-term cooperation between Finland and China. I hope that people from both sides could conduct more cultural exchanges and foster friendly ties," said Deng Xiaogang, deputy Party secretary of Sichuan province.

"Sichuan has been well-known as a land of abundance since ancient times. It is home to giant pandas and many prestigious world cultural heritages and scenic areas including the Jiuzhaigou Valley, the Huanglong Valley, Mount Qingcheng, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha. It is also one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilization, as evidenced by Sanxingdui Ruins and Jinsha Site.

"As an old Chinese saying goes, 'What you hear from others might be false, but what you see with your own eyes is real'. I invite friends from Finland to travel in and invest in Sichuan," Deng added.

Sponsored by Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the "Beautiful Sichuan, More Than Pandas" campaign aims to advance Sichuan's diversified tourism resources worldwide and attract more overseas tourists to visit the province.

Sichuan has launched such campaigns in over 10 countries and regions including Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia and the United States.

During this year's campaign in Finland and the Czech Republic, panda mascots captured the attention of locals, many of whom also took part in painting porcelain pandas. "Through the panda artwork activity which represented the qualities and characteristics of 'Sichuan in my eyes', the Finnish public were able to garner a deeper understanding of tourism in Sichuan," said an official.

The giant panda is a cultural symbol of Sichuan. Some 80 percent of the world's giant panda population live in the province, where there are 16 of China's 18 panda sanctuaries.

Another tourism campaign aims to promote the renowned local food.

Sichuan cuisine holds a reputation for its rich and deep flavors, especially from the numbing and spicy Sichuan pepper which is rare in other cuisines. It is not only the most widely served cuisine in China, but also sold in countless restaurants abroad.

Statistics show that Sichuan cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China, using over 38 different cooking methods. It has more than 6,000 types of dishes, making the province a center for spicy hot dishes in China. To make people learn more about this distinctive cuisine, the campaign held many cooking contests at home and abroad.

A total of 86 people applied to take part in the "Talents of Global Gourmet Tour" and 169 restaurants worldwide competed to be the best Sichuan cuisine restaurant.

Other tourism campaigns have covered photo exhibitions, bianlian - a rapid mask-changing technique that is part of Sichuan Opera and tea art performances.

Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Development Commission, Song Ming, gave an in-depth introduction of Sichuan's tourism resources, tourism products, and incentives provided by the Sichuan government. These promotional campaigns have raised Sichuan's profile in northern Europe and the inbound tourism market in Sichuan is expected to grow, Song added.

(China Daily 11/12/2018 page12)