Romantic Zhuhai to display dynamics of Guangdong

The city of Zhuhai will host the 2017 Guangdong International Tourism & Culture Festival from Dec 12 to 14, utilizing coastal resources to attract tourists to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Themed "Dynamic Guangdong, Romantic Zhuhai," this year's festival will open at the scallop-shaped Zhuhai Opera House on Yeli Island of Xiangzhou. Included are a high-end summit, tour route promotions, and joint conference for cities of Guangdong and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A highlight is a tourism carnival providing hands-on exotic travel experiences.

Nearly 200 foreign officials from 20 countries and regions are expected to attend the event. Among them will be staff from consulates in Guangzhou, leaders of sister cities, and representatives of foreign tourist enterprises.

An urban tour union is to be established for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area at the opening ceremony to strengthen inter-market relationships. Member cities will be Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions.

An evening show will be held on opening day, starring artists from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao. Among them is Mo Hualun, a Zhuhai fellow and one of China's three notable tenors; Lyu Wei, national Grade-A singer; and Lai Qiongxia, renowned Cantonese Opera artist. Performances will be accompanied by the Macao Chinese Orchestra.

Zhuhai Opera House

Syncopated sparkling lights will dance across the opera's outer walls to add glamour while sound, electricity, water, imagery, and musical elements will deliver advanced effects of sight and sound.

According to the organizing committee, the venue was selected to represent and promote brands of Zhuhai's cultural tourism. The only on-island theater in the Chinese mainland has two halls shaped as scallops to represent the brilliant sun and entrancing moon; the smaller one being 60 m high and the other 90 m. It is called "Sun & Moon Scallop" by locals. The design was inspired by the famous painting The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.

A tourism and cultural exhibition will be held in the plaza in front of the Opera House. Visitors will be given a quick view of tourist scenes around the country and can buy representative products of intangible cultural items. In addition, discount travel packages will be available at exhibition booths set up by online and brick'n mortar tour operators.

Local scenic spots will be showcased to celebrate Zhuhai's maturing tourism system. Attractions include theme parks in Xiangzhou District, island holidaymaking in the Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone, rural ecotourism in Doumen District, sports and leisure activities in Jinwan District, and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin New Area.

Also on hand will be folk-art performances by eight troupes including intangible cultural heritage inheritors from Zhuhai and neighboring Foshan and Jiangmen. Artists from the South Pacific's Cook Islands and Poland will also interact with Lingnan traditional culture. This will benefit cross-cultural communication between Guangdong and countries and regions along the Belt & Road, said an organizer.

Poster of the 2017 Guangdong International Tourism & Culture Festival

There will also be a tourism seminar by the School of Tourism Management of Sun Yat-sen University discussing opportunities and challenges confronting the Greater Bay Area. Experts and professionals will suggest development paths towards common prosperity.

The area goal of being a world-level tourist destination will be furthered by Guangxi cities, as this year's Guangdong-Guangxi conference during the event will promote regional tourism and sharable resources.

More of Zhuhai's natural resources, favorable tourism environment, and rich tourism products will be exposed to guests through an inspection tour to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Chimelong International Ocean Resort, and Dong'ao Island -- a National 4A-Grade Scenic Spot.

As a final note, the schedule shows that exotic cultural charms can be combined with the pleasures of yachting aboard first-class craft; an ocean experience that exemplifies Zhuhai's charm.

Yachting [Photos courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

The festival is sponsored by the Guangdong Tourism Administration, Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture, and Zhuhai Municipal Government, and is organized by the Zhuhai Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau.

A local official noted that the festival will demonstrate the great strides Zhuhai has made in upsizing its tourism industry, crafting its products, enhancing its brand influence, and speeding its cooperation with neighboring regions.