OPINIONS

Exploring the Orient:

China meets the world  

By Issy Scher

All Chinese were ecstatic when the Olympic Committee decided to award the 2008 Olympics bid to the Chinese capital Beijing. For those travelers planning a trip to China, this article will highlight some of the recent advancements that you should expect on your visit. As China sets up for the Olympics, the announcement triggered a marathon of  preparations by the Chinese government. These include:

• Chinese air transportation authorities will purchase 400 planes and build 43 more airports over the next five years to accommodate the rising number of travelers. By 2005 the Civil Aviation Administration is expecting airlines to be carrying 100 million passengers a year.
• Compared with 3.4 million American tourists visiting France last year, there were nearly 900,000 American arrivals in China in 2000, an increase of 21.7% over the previous year.
• The Kerry Center Hotel Beijing, announced the appointment of Ulf Bremer as Resident Manager. A German national, Ulf  worked in deluxe hotels in Switzerland, Germany, England, Saudi Arabia Japan and Indonesia. One of the 15 hotels of the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts group in Mainland China, The Kerry Centre Hotel Beijing was opened in August 1999.
• Tony Roma’s recent opening in Beijing. The beautiful restaurant, with a capacity of 150, is situated in the new Orient Plaza complex in the popular Wanfujing shopping area.

BEIJING HUTONG TOUR TOPS THE CHARTS

Hutong are narrow alleyways - there are some 7,000 in Beijing - formed by closely built dwellings in a quadrangle formation, facing on an inner courtyard. A visit to these courtyard houses is important for an understanding of the culture of Beijing

Participants take a pedi-cab (three-wheeled bicycle) and are driven through the old alleys to visit a Chinese home. Many were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties; the sizes and designs vary - dependent on the social status of the residents. Before the 1970s the whole city of Beijing consisted of these charming tiny houses. Many have been torn down and residents moved to high-rise apartments, but the Hutong lifestyle still accounts for one-third of all housing in Beijing.   

Lunch is generally included and provides an opportunity for an open dialogue with a local family.  These family lunches in the Hutong have continually received praise from our guests.

GOLF COURSES IN CHINA

Chinese golf fans will congregate to catch a glimpse of the golf legend Tiger Woods who will make his first ever trip to China from November 9-11 of this year to challenge three leading Asian professionals. The world number one golfer is scheduled to appear at the Mission Hills Golf Club in the southern boom city of Shenzen.

The “Best Courses in China” are:

1. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort, Kunming (RTJ Course)

2. Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzen (World Cup Course)

3. Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club, Zhongshan City (Nicklaus Course)

4. Harbour Plaza Golf Club, Guangzhou (Robert Trent Jones II Course)

5. Sand River Golf Club, Shenzen (Gary Player)

THE ORIENT - EXPRESS BETWEEN BEIJING AND HONG KONG

The head of the Hong Kong Tourism Development Board, Selina Chow, stated that Hong Kong and Beijing could soon be linked by the luxury Orient – Express Trains & Cruises rail service. Orient - Express service started in 1883 between Paris and Istanbul and this line is still being operated. The London-based operator also runs the regular luxury route between Singapore and Bangkok.

Chow stressed that the plan was in its initial phase. China’s Ministry of Railways runs its own luxury “China Orient Express Tour”, with some twenty trips a year on the “silk route” in western China.

NEW INTERNATIONAL EXPO CENTER IN SHANGHAI

In November 2001, the Shanghai New International Expo Center will soon be a fitting addition to the Pudong skyline. A joint venture of the Shanghai Pudong Land Development Corporation and the German International Exhibition Company, Ltd., the total investment for the first phase alone will reach $99M. It houses both indoor and outdoor exhibit facilities. The initial total indoor area will be 45,000 square meters (484,200 sq ft). After completion, the Center will have 17 exhibition halls and a tower, with an area totaling 250,000 square meters. Designed by world-renowned American stylists Murphy/Jahn, the Center is expected to join the league of top-ranking exhibition centers in the Asia-Pacific region, equipped to handle an extensive range of exhibition requirements.

China's National Symphony Orchestra

One of the highlights of a China trip is undoubtedly a performance of the Children and Young Women’s Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra…led by Professor Yang Hongnian, who founded the China Children’s Choir in 1983.  The chorus has extensively toured the world and is recognized as a musical group on a par with the Vienna Boys’ Choir.  Their international repertoire combines traditional Chinese folk music with well-known medleys of Western songs and folk songs of many other cultures.  The choir’s unique talents are an exclusive Kingsway Incentives feature.

PILLOW GIFTS - Chinese Cloisonné Gifts

We try to link pillow gifts with something special or unusual in that day’s program. An example is this beautiful cloisonné egg, given on the day of a visit to a cloisonné factory and workshop. Cloisonné enamelware was introduced from the West in the Yuan Dynasty and developed during the Ming Dynasty.  Cloisonné is produced by soldering wires, usually of copper, onto a metal base to create cells. The cells are filled with enamel paste, fired and polished. The exposed wires are then gilded. A large choice of cloisonné articles is available, at various price ranges, and these are invariably popular with visitors to China.

 
LOVE STORY IN SHANGHAI

During his stint as General Manager of the China World Hotel in Beijing. Steven Ford (an American citizen) and Laura Li (a Chinese citizen) were recently married in a private ceremony on the Huangpu River, Shanghai resulting from a romantic love story. 

Stephen Ford moved to Shanghai as the General Manager of the “new” Westin in Shanghai. The Westin Shanghai & Westin Residences is scheduled to open in the middle of 2002.

North American-Chinese Market Prospects

North American companies are thrilled at the prospect of sponsoring the world’s biggest sports event in China. They are excited by the prospect of gaining a foothold in the fast-growing market for consumer products and financial services in the world’s most populous nation. This could bode well for a rapid development of incentive travel and corporate meetings to China during the coming years.

The "Golden Arch" in Beijing

Interestingly, during the bid process for the Olympic 2008 Summer Games, certain interesting statistics were revealed. For those whose taste runs to fast food, it was reported that there are 69 McDonald’s restaurants already operating in and around Beijing – even more than Paris, which has 63. Toronto won the local McDonald’s derby with 233.

Issy Scher, CITE
Director International Sales & Marketing
Kingsway Incentives China
E-Mail: scher@destinationchina.com

Kingsway Incentives is China’s first privately held Destination Management Company and the only one with combined Chinese and Western management. Principals are Paul Lam, Issy Scher and Brian Yin, who combine Chinese tourism know-how with international incentive expertise. Our mission is to create and operate imaginative incentive programs and special interest tours within China, for the world’s most demanding incentive users. Welcome to “Destination China”! We look forward to helping you discover why China has fascinated world travelers for over 5,000 years.

If you wish to send any information or comments, email us as mail@ambassadors.net.

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