On July 31, local time, the Sri Lankan government announced that from August 1, the entry visa fee for tourists from 48 countries such as China will be waived, and the policy is valid for 6 months, and tourists can apply for a free entry visa for 30 days online in advance.
Sri Lanka, located at the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula, is an important node of the Maritime Silk Road and has been known as the "Crossroads of the East" since ancient times. In recent years, with the active promotion of China's "Belt and Road" initiative, the number of Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka has doubled, from 120,000 in 2014 to about 300,000 in 2018, although after being hit by a series of bombings, only 4,000 tourists from all over the world arrive in Sri Lanka every day, but as Sri Lanka's Minister of Tourism Development John Amaratunga said, China is the second largest market for Sri Lanka's tourism industry. The introduction of a visa-free policy to China will increase the number of Chinese tourists entering the country.
In fact, the chinese tourists favor Sri Lanka, which has a lot to do with "Spirited Away". With the re-screening of Miyazaki's animated film "Spirited Away" in China some time ago, going to Sri Lanka to find a sea train was once again put on the agenda by some Chinese tourists.
The sea train from Galle to Colombo, the longest railway along the coastline in the world, also recreates the image of Spirited Away: Chihiro sits side by side with the Faceless Man, a sunset accompanied by Hisaishi's piano song "Station Six" is about to sink, and the red train heads north along the watery sea.
The nearly 20-minute drive from Mount Lavinia to Colombo is the closest section to the sea, the doors and windows are full of salty and salty cars, be sure to sit on the left side of the train's direction, a little head, your eyes, your heart will be filled with endless Indian Ocean and South Asian sun.
Stilt Fisherman is located in the Koggala area of Galle, where the fisherman sits on a simple wooden frame, holding a fishing rod without bait, waiting for the fish to be hooked.
The alpine train from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya brings a completely different view, the train travels at a height of about 1,800 meters, high and low tea plantations and forests passing by, and the doors and windows are like picture frames, framing the beautiful mountain scenery along the way, and sometimes the fog rises up, as if walking in the clouds.
Alpine trains pass by the Nine Arch Bridge. The Nine Hole Bridge, which means "Bridge of the Sky" in Sinhala, is 30 meters high and is built entirely of cement and bricks, and has a history of more than 200 years.
Taking a mountain train through the dense forest to Nuwara Eliya is like arriving in "Little England", where the temperature can drop to nearly zero degrees Celsius at night, and in tudor-style rooms, using an electric fireplace to "roast the fire" is a special pleasure.
The rolling tea plantations are home to some of the most cultural landscapes in the Nuwara Eliya Mountains, with tea pickers expertly picking from each tea branch along the tea bushes. If you love Ceylon black tea, there are many tea factories to visit and get a closer look at the whole process of drying, crushing, fermenting and drying in the Victorian era.
The starting and ending points of the alpine train, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, together with Sigiriya, constitute Sri Lanka's "Golden Triangle of Culture" and bear witness to the former glory of the ancient Ceylon state.
One of the culminations of the "Golden Triangle of Culture" is the Sigiriya Lion Rock, an aerial palace built on a giant rock. Sri Lanka has a history of more than 2,000 years, experienced several generations of feudal dynasties and a century and a half of colonial rule, and although it has suffered from war, it has also left a rich cultural heritage, and Lion Rock is one of them.
Lion Rock
Built in 447-495 by Kassapa, king of the Moriya dynasty, this heavenly palace was originally built in the form of a giant lion, but the lion's head has long since weathered and fallen, and now only the lion's body remains, and from the two giant lion claws at the entrance, you can feel the grandeur of the palace. Lion Rock was buried in the jungle for hundreds of years until it was discovered by British archaeologist Bell in 1898.
Monkeys living on Lion Rock
The murals in the caves on the rock side cliffs are not to be missed, and the ladies in the murals wear crowns or hand flowers or hold color plates in their hands, which are colorful and vivid. The scenery of the rock top is suddenly open, and the view is extremely far away, the jungle is boundless, full of greenery, and the entire capital city is in full view.
Lady figure natural mural
Sri Lanka, which means "promised land" or "bright and rich land" in Sinhala, in addition to its rich natural cultural heritage and unique and fascinating cultural atmosphere, beautiful butterflies, birds and vibrant animals make this land exotic.
Sri Lanka's national bird, the black-tailed prototyping
Ceylon elephants are a symbol of good fortune in Sri Lanka and are the most famous of Sri Lanka's many wildlife species, but in fact ceylon leopards are the king of Sri Lanka's forests at the top of the predatory chain, and they can be seen in Yala Natnional Park on the southeast coast.
Elephants with two baby elephants are foraging for food
Yala National Park is the second largest national nature reserve in Sri Lanka, after Villepotu National Park. Although Yala National Park consists of five areas, only two are open to the public. Visitors can experience Safari in a jeep and experience the real animal world: elephants take baby elephants through the jungle to the pond or lake to bathe and drink water; Monkeys jumping between branches; Peacock opens the screen as much as he pleases; Ceylon leopards lurk in the bushes; Bald cranes, crocodiles, buffaloes, wild boars, sika deer, etc. are all objects of people's pursuit.
A Ceylon leopard resting in a tree
Yala National Park is not only home to numerous lakes of all sizes, but also has a beautiful waterfront. Jeeps rampage through the national park until they reach the end of the continent, where there is a beautiful sandy beach with the endless Indian Ocean in the distance, where visitors can get off the bus and rest. There is a special monument here, which was leveled by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and now only the foundation remains, and a monument was built on the site to commemorate the people who died here.
With a panoramic view of the blue sea and the sound of the waves of the Indian Ocean sent by the breeze, everyone who comes to Yala National Park can enjoy this calm after hunting.
Sri Lankans who love to laugh
"Dizzying breaths, unknown fragrances of flowers, sudden downpours, sudden sunshine and jubilation, in the depths of the jungles and in the mountains, there are ancient ruins and dilapidated temples, remnants of dynasties and conquered peoples that were once flourishing—a place that, without that mysterious and ancient color, cannot be considered a very complete Orient."
This is Mark Twain's description of Sri Lanka in Around the Equator. If you're on a trip to Sri Lanka, you'll take his word for it.