Cultural wonders wow visitors at NYC show

Booths showcasing China's vibrant culture and cities at the 2024 New York Travel & Adventure Show have captivated potential tourists.

From the ancient Pingyao city in Shanxi province to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, where deep historical culture merges with modern urban landscapes, visitors got to see a glimpse of China's diversity during the two-day event over the weekend.

Daisy Arroyo, a 53-year-old visitor from the Bronx, tried her hand at woodblock printing with the help of an artist and produced a dragon print.

"How amazing that I get to work with an artist!" she told China Daily.

"I love art, and Chinese food is amazing, the culture is beautiful and welcoming. I'm looking forward to traveling to China. I've looked forward to it many years, but I think maybe now it is more accessible."

Arroyo said she was also excited to experiment with ink and brushes. She added that she wants to visit the Big Buddha and do some meditation.

Wei Lizhong, curator of the Hangzhou Ten Bamboo Studio Art Museum in Zhejiang province, displayed his traditional woodblock printings at the show and shared traditional Chinese artwork with the audience.

"This is not just a dragon. This is a 'cute' dragon. Foreigners might think that the traditional dragons in our Chinese mythology are a bit 'fierce'. But in our culture, dragons have both a dignified aspect and a cute side," he said.

Danmay Sahi, a visitor who had a virtual reality tour of Hangzhou city, told China Daily: "I love everything in general. I love the infrastructure, it's really cool. There are some insane trains that are supposed to be really fast.

"Being in the US makes us very curious about other countries and cultures, and thus we are interested in visiting other countries," he said.

Ma Yunfei, director of the China National Tourist Office, told China Daily that people in the United States are particularly interested in Chinese culture and cuisine. This is especially so with the "ice and snow" tourism in China, which has seen a boom in China's domestic travel market.

"It's necessary to engage in exchanges with the international community upon full reopening post-pandemic. We'd love to strengthen exchanges between China and the United States, showcasing China's tourism, resources, and culture," Ma said.

mingmeili@chinadailyusa.com