Malaysia and Yuexiu district seek to boost tourism cooperation

A delegation led by Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysian national tourism administration, paid a visit to Yuexiu district in Guangzhou on Feb 23 to participate in the ongoing Cantonese Temple Fair and seek tourism cooperation.

The delegation consists of officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, representatives of the South China Department of Tourism Malaysia, and Malaysian students studying at Guangzhou universities.

The Malaysian delegation poses for a group photo in front of the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King in Guangzhou. [Photo/ycwb.com] 

During their trip, the delegation visited scenic spots such as Chenghuang Temple and the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. They were also treated to Cantonese morning tea, Cantonese dim sum, and Cantonese culture.

A Malaysian photography team also plans to shoot a feature documentary on Guangzhou to teach Malaysians about the southern Chinese city.

The delegation admires an exhibit at the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King in Guangzhou. [Photo/ycwb.com] 

During the trip, I learned that Cantonese culture is actually different from what I imagined, said Sharon Ho, head of the South China Department of Tourism Malaysia. She noted that China and Malaysia have close ties and their cultures complement each other. Many tourism attractions, such as Chenghuang Temple, the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, and Beijing Road Pedestrian Street are popular among Malaysian tourists.

The year 2020 is the China-Malaysia Cultural Tourism Year, and the Malaysian tourism department hopes to promote Cantonese culture in Malaysia through cooperation with Guangzhou's Yuexiu district. It hopes to make Guangzhou a top tourist destination for Malaysians within the next few years, Ho said.

The delegation also promoted the tourist attractions of Malaysia during their visit, hoping that the people of Guangzhou would choose Malaysia as their next travel destination.