China's land-locked Gansu embraces tourism boom

Tourists ride camels at the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, March 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

LANZHOU, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Winter and spring are traditionally quiet seasons in terms of travel in northwest China's Gansu, as this province tends to experience cold and dry weather at this time of year.

However, over the past three months, the remote Gansu region has witnessed the presence of significant numbers of nationwide tourists at its scenic spots along the Hexi Corridor.

Stretching over a distance of nearly 1,000 kilometers in Gansu, the Hexi Corridor is part of the ancient Silk Road. A total of five UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 53 grottoes are scattered along the Hexi Corridor.

Li Li, a tourist from south China's Guangdong Province, decided to avoid the summer peak tourism season, opting instead for a more quiet time to travel with her parents and child. However, she was surprised by Gansu's spring tourism levels at the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in the city of Dunhuang, encountering more tourists than she had expected.

Thanks to preferential policies rolled out by Dunhuang's government last December, the scenic spot has gained popularity, said Yang Shaojun, deputy general manager of the Dunhuang Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Tourism Development Co., Ltd.

According to Yang, as of April 6, the scenic spot had received a total of 205,310 tourist visits this year -- an increase of 65.05 percent compared with the same period in 2023.

Data from the provincial department of culture and tourism showed that in the first two months of this year, Gansu had recorded 44.5 million tourist visits and pocketed comprehensive tourism income of some 30 billion yuan (about 4.23 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 33.8 percent and 56 percent, respectively, compared with the same period in 2023.

In addition to enjoying Gansu's natural scenery, tourists are also drawn by the local culture and delicacies.

Tourists taste malatang at the ancient city of Tianshui in Qinzhou District of Tianshui City, northwest China's Gansu Province, March 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

Tianshui Malatang, an iconic hot pot dish with roots in Tianshui, a low-key city in Gansu, has recently garnered considerable attention online, following significant endorsements from food enthusiasts and social media influencers.

In mid-March, the average daily passenger flow at the city's railway stations surged by some 40 percent in a week compared to the same period last year, data from China Railways revealed.

Yang Yujuan, director of the social education department of the Wuwei Municipal Museum, has witnessed a considerable increase in the number of visitors to the museum this spring.

The province's booming tourism is attributable to local efforts to provide high-quality tourism products, options and services -- such as granting free tickets for scenic spots and launching innovative activities.

According to He Xiaozu, head of the provincial department of culture and tourism, Gansu will continue to integrate high-quality cultural tourism resources across the province to boost consumption potential and attract more tourists.