Finland--anytime you want is right time to go: Ambassador

Beijing, Nov.21 (People's Daily Online)-- The thrill of witnessing the Aurora Borealis is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. As one of the best places to spot the Aurora, Finland is seeing the arrival of more and more Chinese tourists.

"If you want to see nature at its purest, with clean air and clean skies," said Ambassador Gustafsson, "the best time to come is in winter."

The Northern Lights dancing in the skies above is such a powerful and unique natural phenomenon it can change the way we see our lives down on Earth.

"Go to Lapland to see those Northern lights against the dark sky, and meet Santa Claus, who lives there on the Finnish side of Lapland, and who is very eager to welcome tourists," Ambassador Gustafsson continues.

In northern Lapland the lights shine on around every second clear night between September and March. In southern Finland they are visible on about 10-20 nights a year.

"Hundreds of thousands of lakes where you can drink the water without any purification."

Besides hunting for the northern lights, the Ambassador also recommends an overnight stay on the banks of one of those hundreds of thousands of lakes in Finland - "a very unique experience that Finland can offer to Chinese tourists."

Finland is a country not only of thousands of lakes but also of islands—about 188,000 lakes and 179,000 islands. Its largest lake, Saimaa, is the fourth largest in Europe. The area with the most lakes is called Finnish Lakeland. The greatest concentration of islands is found in the southwest, in the Archipelago Sea between continental Finland and the main island of Åland.

"Anytime you want is right time to go."

For those who prefer a pleasant and relaxing urban environment to the countryside, the capital of Finland is a compact city where design, architecture, culture and shopping are all available to the visitor.

"If you want to dine out in a nice restaurant, go to see a movie, or visit the theater or a museum, there is no need to make a reservation" Ambassador Gustafson promised.

For those Chinese tourists who plan to visit Nordic areas, the most convenient route is to fly directly to Finland. Despite the apparent distance between the two countries on the map, transport is convenient.

"Finland is the nearest stop from China – closer than any other European country," says the Ambassador.

Many Chinese cities have opened direct connections. A flight from Shanghai to Helsinki takes about 9 hours, while the journey from Beijing takes only eight and a half hours.

"Santa Claus, who lives here on the Finnish side of Lapland, is very eager to meet tourists."

Finnish Ambassador to China also invited tourists to visit Santa Claus in his grotto located right on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. He is ready to welcome visitors from near and far on every single day of the year. There you can of course meet Santa himself, but you might also catch a glimpse of one of his tiny Elves rushing around if look carefully.