Hangzhou offers Europe a window into China's 5,000-year history

Leveraging the China-Europe Tourism Dialogue hosted by the World Tourism Alliance, the Hangzhou cultural tourism delegation recently held promotional events in Budapest, Hungary, and Zurich, Switzerland.

They launched the "Hangzhou, a window into China's 5,000-year history" international tourism product, showcasing Hangzhou's perfect blend of culture and nature in the post-Asian Games era.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary and the 25th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Hangzhou and Budapest. The "Hangzhou Night" event on the Danube River attracted over 300 guests, offering an immersive introduction to Hangzhou's 5,000-year history and cultural heritage, including the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins, the Grand Canal, West Lake, Xixi Wetland, Qiandao Lake, and the Qiantang River.

The event also featured a Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins photo exhibition, which drew interest with its displays of ancient water engineering, exquisite jade carvings, and mysterious mythical beast motifs. Attendees enjoyed traditional Jiangnan music and dance performances, getting a close-up experience of Hangzhou's rich cultural heritage.

Zhang Xu, former vice-minister of Culture and Tourism and chairman of the World Tourism Alliance, praised the unique and splendid "Hangzhou Night." Hungarian Tourism Agency CEO Laszlo Konnyid expressed deep admiration for Hangzhou and announced plans to visit soon to further promote tourism collaboration.

The Hangzhou cultural tourism promotional event in Zurich was lauded as the largest, most well-received, and effective ever held in the city. A promotional film titled What is Hangzhou, using 3D animation and live-action footage, provided an accessible introduction to Hangzhou for the international audience.

In the first half of this year, Hangzhou saw a 163.75-percent year-on-year increase in inbound tourists, with the top 10 source countries being the United States, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Canada. According to Trip.com, in the second quarter, inbound tourism orders in 23 Chinese cities grew by 42 percent compared to the first quarter, with Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Hangzhou leading the way.