A "day trip" to Dongxing, Pingxiang and other cities on the border between China and Vietnam in Guangxi to visit pedestrian streets, buy clothes, and taste food is one of the popular forms of outbound travel for Vietnamese people. During the past May Day holiday, in the scenic spots and shops of Dongxing and Pingxiang, Vietnamese tourists drinking Chinese tea and carrying Chinese goods can be seen from time to time.
At the same time, many Chinese tourists have signed up for tours to Vietnam in China-Vietnam border port cities, and travel agencies are doing brisk business. According to the data of the Guangxi Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, during this year's "May Day" holiday, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Dongxing Port in Guangxi reached 101,200, and the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Friendship Pass Port reached 33,400.
The staff of the Guangxi Dongxing Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station are inspecting passengers (photo provided by the interviewee)
China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers and have similar cultural ties. In recent years, under the joint promotion of China and Vietnam, cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between the two sides have "blossomed in many places" and continued to heat up, which has effectively promoted cultural exchanges and civilization integration, and also built a bridge for people-to-people bonds.
Transnational "door-to-door" has become a new fashion
During the "May Day" period, Vietnamese tour guide Wang Van Thanh held a small flag and led 19 Vietnamese tourists across the Beilun River Bridge connecting Dongxing, China and Mong Cai, Vietnam.
Dongxing, China, is just across the river from Mong Cai, Vietnam, and is one of the main channels for Vietnamese tourists to enter the country. "Our guests are very interested in Chinese food and find it very special. This time, many guests specifically named the pork belly chicken and said that they must try it. Wang Wencheng said that many shops and businesses near the port can speak Vietnamese, and some government window units also have Vietnamese-speaking staff, so Vietnamese tourists can enjoy warm and high-quality services.
"We have partnered with 10 Vietnamese travel agencies and receive more than 10 Vietnamese tour groups every month. There are a little more Vietnamese tourists on weekends, and the summer vacation is the peak season, and we receive thousands of Vietnamese tourists in a month. Tang Zizhen, manager of Fangchenggang Youth International Travel Service Co., Ltd., said that in addition to "check-in" attractions, Vietnamese tourists also like to buy Chinese goods, such as clothing, pots and pans, etc., and bubble tea and cakes are also very popular with Vietnamese tourists.
In Pingxiang, another China-Vietnam border port city, cross-border tourism is also booming. In front of the Friendship Pass Building near the port, many Vietnamese tourists dragging suitcases couldn't wait to take photos with the Gate. Not far away, at the Friendship Pass Scenic Area Visitor Center, there are a number of passenger buses parked, which transport tourists to airports, high-speed rail stations, bus stations and other transportation hubs.
The increasingly perfect transportation network along the China-Vietnam border has provided more convenience for Vietnamese tourists to enter the country. Last year, the Guangxi Fangchenggang-Dongxing Railway was put into operation, and Dongxing ended its history of no railway transportation and was connected to the national railway network; In April this year, the tunnel from Chongzuo to Pingxiang section of the Nanning-Pingxiang high-speed railway, which directly connects to the Sino-Vietnamese border, was successfully completed, and the entire tunnel of the Chongping section was completed. The Chongping section of the project is expected to be completed and opened to traffic next year, when the Nanping high-speed railway will be fully operational, forming an important international transportation channel from China to ASEAN.
"After the opening of the Fangdong high-speed railway, many Vietnamese tourists choose to enter from Dongxing, and then take bullet trains to other cities to travel in China in depth." Wu Juan, deputy director of the Dongxing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Sports and Tourism, said that the transportation modes are becoming more and more convenient and diversified, which is bringing a different travel experience to inbound tourists.
Not only is inbound tourism booming, but outbound tourism is also on the rise. Many Chinese tourists have signed up for tour groups in Pingxiang, Dongxing and other places to travel to Cao Ping, Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and other places in Vietnam.
"This year, our travel agency has received almost half of the border 'day trip' tourists, both Chinese and Vietnamese. During the May Day' period, our more than 20 Vietnamese-speaking tour guides were all full, and they were simply too busy. Ye Xiaozhou, deputy general manager of Pingxiang Southern International Travel Service Co., Ltd., said that China-Vietnam border tourism has shown a trend of "two-way travel", and cross-border tourism has accelerated its recovery.
Cross-border tourism opens up new paths
In the upper reaches of the Gui Xuan River, the boundary river between China and Vietnam, Detian Waterfall is connected with the adjacent Banyue Waterfall in Vietnam, forming the largest transnational waterfall in Asia.
On September 15 last year, China's first cross-border tourism cooperation zone, the China-Vietnam Detian (Banyo) Waterfall Cross-border Tourism Cooperation Zone, launched a one-year trial operation. The project is jointly built and implemented by Guangxi, China and Cao Bang Province of Vietnam, and during the trial operation, Chinese and Vietnamese people can have a glimpse of the exotic scenery by crossing the Sino-Vietnamese border with legal and valid documents.
Tourists take a bamboo raft to visit the China-Vietnam Detian (Banyue) Waterfall Cross-border Tourism Cooperation Zone (photo by Zhao Jingwu)
This novel way of cross-border tourism has attracted many Chinese and Vietnamese tourists to try and experience it. According to the statistics of Shuolong Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station of Guangxi Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, since the trial operation of the cooperation zone, a total of 18,590 border inspection procedures have been handled for passengers entering and leaving the cooperation zone.
"In the past, tourists wanted to play in the waterfall scenic spot in neighboring countries, they needed to apply for passports and visas, leave the country through the port, and then take a bus to the scenic spot. Li Jiankun, a staff member of CTS International Guangxi Regional Company, introduced that Chinese and Vietnamese tourists only need to hold their identity documents or passports and make an appointment at the visa hall of the cooperation zone to apply for entry and exit passes on the spot.
Transnational waterfalls are connecting the customs and friendship between China and Vietnam. The Chinese scenic spot has created a "Sino-Vietnamese Style Street" and "China-Vietnam Cross-border Street" full of Vietnamese elements; On the Vietnamese side, the tour guide greets the Chinese tourists with fluent Chinese, and you can also use Chinese mobile payment methods for shopping.
"The cross-border passage procedures are very convenient, the tourist service facilities in the scenic spot are very complete, and there are many places for tourists to take pictures." Nguyen Thi Trang, a Vietnamese tourist who experienced the "one-day trip to the two countries", said that during this trip, she visited Zhuang Jin Avenue, waterfall viewing platform, tertiary waterfall and other scenic spots, and also tasted Chinese food, and the Chinese friends she met were also very friendly. She looks forward to more attractions opening to Vietnamese tourists in the future.
Li Jiankun said that in order to enhance the fun of tourists visiting the park, during the "May Day" period, the scenic spot launched a series of theme activities related to Labor Day. For example, the introduction of free admission policies for "model workers", the launch of "Talking to Jobs" cross talk performances, "Model Worker Recognition" check-in wall and other interactive activities, attracting many tourists to participate.
"With the improvement of the consumption level of the people in China and Vietnam, the people's tourism needs have become more diversified, and the 'China-Vietnam Border Tour' route is increasingly favored by tourists." Zhao Huimin, deputy general manager of Pingxiang Southern International Travel Service Co., Ltd., who has been in the industry for many years, said that the trial operation of the cooperation zone has injected more confidence into the tourism practitioners of China and Vietnam, "I hope to introduce the culture of China and Vietnam to more tourists in the future, so that tourists can witness and continue the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam while enjoying the landscape."
Industry insiders believe that the China-Vietnam Detian (Banyue) Waterfall Cross-border Tourism Cooperation Zone, as China's first cross-border tourism cooperation zone, is not only a useful exploration of cross-border cultural and tourism cooperation in Guangxi, but also has pioneering significance in providing construction experience, management mode and operation mode, and can also be replicated, promoted and demonstrated to other border provinces (regions) across the country.
People-to-people bonds, exploring new business formats
With the close exchange of tourists between China and Vietnam, the content and frequency of exchanges are expanding day by day, and the two sides jointly explore a variety of new business formats, and the cross-border tourism cooperation between China and Vietnam will be deepened and solidified, which will further deepen people-to-people exchanges and promote people-to-people bonds.
Pingxiang City vigorously develops cross-border tourism, increases cross-border tourism publicity and promotion, and enhances the brand image of border cultural tourism. At present, Pingxiang City is actively promoting the declaration and creation of the China (Pingxiang)-Vietnam (Wenlang) cross-border tourism cooperation zone, and continues to carry out activities such as the "Guangxi-Pingxiang China-Vietnam Border Pass Tourism Festival" and border customs tours, so as to promote cross-border tourism to become "hot".
As a new mode of cross-border tourism along the China-Vietnam border, self-driving tours are very popular among tourists. During the Spring Festival, the first group of the 2024 China-Vietnam cross-border self-driving tour departed from Pingxiang Friendship Pass, and 99 tourists from all over the country drove 30 vehicles to start a nine-day China-Vietnam cross-border tour. During the "May Day" period, a cross-border self-driving tour team of 13 vehicles and 29 people left the Friendship Pass Port and headed for Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Halong Bay and other places in Vietnam.
"We have cooperated with Vietnamese travel agencies and domestic car clubs to allow more Chinese self-driving travel enthusiasts to travel to Vietnam through the Friendship Pass." Liang Yunyan, general manager of Guangxi Pingxiang Peace International Travel Agency, the organizer of the China-Vietnam cross-border self-drive tour, said that in late May, the travel agency will also organize self-driving tours for Vietnamese tourists entering China.
During this year's "March 3rd" period, in the border areas of China and Vietnam, such as Longzhou County and Daxin County of Chongzuo City and Napo County of Baise City, the people of China and Vietnam "visited relatives" and carried out a series of exchanges and interactions to celebrate the "March 3" festival together and experience the folk customs and cultural tourism customs of the China-Vietnam border pass. These activities will further enhance the friendly exchanges between the people in the border areas of China and Vietnam, and promote new steps in the development of cultural and tourism cooperation between the two sides.
Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said that exploring cross-border tourism cooperation in border areas not only plays an important role in developing the border economy and consolidating the stability of the border areas, but also has enlightening significance and exemplary role in the development of China's tourism industry.
The reporter learned that the rapid development of cross-border tourism cooperation between China and Vietnam has benefited from the establishment of relevant working mechanisms by both sides to ensure smooth exchanges and communication. Guangxi's cultural and tourism departments took the initiative to connect with Vietnam, jointly carried out various exchanges and cooperation, and held talks with Quang Ninh Province and Lang Son Province of Vietnam on border tourism market management, joint publicity and promotion of tourism products, tourism talent training, etc., to jointly promote the healthy development of cross-border tourism. At the same time, it has carried out ministerial and provincial cooperation with the Vietnamese cultural and tourism departments, and set up the Chinese Cultural Center in Hanoi in Vietnam and the Guangxi Tourism Consultation and Promotion Center in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, laying a good foundation for exchanges and cooperation.
The relevant person in charge of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region said that Guangxi will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two sides through cross-border tourism, boost China-Vietnam border trade, cultural and tourism exchanges, serve economic and social development, and jointly benefit the people of the two countries.
Source: Reference News