People visiting the China-Vietnam Detian Waterfall Cross-Border Tourism Cooperation Zone in Chongzuo, a border city in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
NANNING — Vietnam-born tour guide Vuong Van Thanh recently led 19 people across the Beirun River Bridge, which connects the Vietnamese city of Mong Cai and China’s Dongxing, for a full-day tour of the border cities of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. led his compatriots.
Only separated by a river from Mong Cai, Dongxing facilitates close exchanges between the Sino-Vietnamese border population. It is also a popular tourist destination for Vietnamese tourists who want to experience Chinese customs and cuisine.
“Our guests are very interested in Chinese food and think it is very distinctive. This time they came for the special chicken soup,” said the tour guide.
According to data from Fliggy, one of China’s leading travel platforms, outbound travel bookings peaked during the recent May Day holiday, with travel service bookings showing a significant growth of nearly 100 percent. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries have become popular destinations for outbound tourists from China.
Day trips to border cities such as Dongxing and Pingxiang have become popular among Vietnamese tourists in recent years, including shopping at supermarkets, buying small appliances, and sampling delicious food.
The May Day holiday is a legal holiday in both China and Vietnam, and is also the peak season for cross-border tourists for people from both countries.
The comprehensive border inspection station in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region estimates that more than 140,000 passengers may have passed through Dongxing Port during the May Day holiday this year, and more than 45,000 passengers may have visited Youyiguan Port. I expect it to be high.
“During the May Day holiday, more than 200 tour groups are expected to enter and exit the country per day. To deal with the flow of passengers during peak hours, we will promptly communicate with Vietnam’s travel agencies and inspection departments to ensure that transit We have received the information.”This will allow us to reduce waiting time and provide a better travel experience for passengers,” said Huang Yiqiang, who works at the Dongxing border crossing.
“During the May Day holiday, our agency’s more than 20 Vietnamese-speaking tour guides were all fully booked and just too busy,” said Ye Xiaozhou, deputy general manager of Pingxiang South International Travel Agency. Cross-border travel added: Tourism is rapidly recovering.
Self-driving tours are also an emerging trend in cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam.
During the holiday, Pingxiang Peace International Travel Service Co., Ltd. organized a cross-border self-driving tour with 13 vehicles and 29 participants, visiting places in Vietnam such as Hanoi, Thanh Hoa and Halong Bay.
“We will cooperate with more Vietnamese travel agencies and domestic automobile clubs, and encourage more Chinese self-driving tour enthusiasts to travel to Vietnam through Friendship Pass, enjoy exotic scenery, and enjoy special delicacies. We want to give people a taste of the culture and experience the folk customs,” said General Liang Yunyan. Travel agency manager.
With the deepening of tourism cooperation between China and Vietnam, cross-border tourism is becoming more popular. The two sides have worked together to explore new forms of cross-border tourism and promote the construction of cross-border tourism cooperation zones.
The Zhongyue Detian Waterfall Cross-Border Tourism Cooperation Zone, which began trial operation on September 15 in the border city of Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has seen an increase in the number of tourists from both countries.
The zone also rolled out a series of events, including lectures and interactive activities, to attract tourists during the May Day holiday.
Xinhua News Agency
