China's provincial culture, tourism exhibited in London

LONDON -- A series of activities were held here Friday to display and promote the culture and tourism charm of China's southwestern Sichuan province.

The promotion campaign included a landscape photo exhibition, a long-spout teapot pouring Kungfu show, and Sichuan Opera face-changing performance. Some unique cultural products were also exhibited, like the Sichuan embroidery, lacquerware and traditional oil-paper umbrella.

Themed "Nihao! China -- Sichuan, more than pandas," the event was hosted by the Culture and Tourism Department of Sichuan Province.

For many British panda lovers, their first impression of Sichuan is the homeland of giant pandas. In the past 12 years, the giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian living at Edinburgh Zoo have brought much joy to visitors.

Maria Lamle, a senior account manager of a Bristol-based media agency, said she had visited Sichuan recently and learned a lot more about the giant pandas' lifestyle and habits in the Chengdu giant pandas research base.

The landscape photos and videos showcasing tourist attractions, such as Jiuzhaigou Valley and Leshan Giant Buddha, also caught guests' eyes.

"One of my favorite places ...was the incredible Sanxingdui Museum. I really felt like we were traveling back in time," Lamle said.

John McLean, chairman of the UK-China Business Development Center, said that tourism is an efficient way to bring people together by sharing experiences and promoting their respective cultures.

"I hope China and Britain can work more closely together to promote inbound and outbound travels between our two countries," said McLean.

"Both China and Britain possess splendid cultural and rich tourism resources. These exchanges not only bring mutual economic benefits, but also help eliminate misunderstandings and barriers between the East and the West, making a positive contribution to global peace and development," said Zhao Fei, minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK.