Hubei promotes five premium travel routes to draw Russian visitors

Central China's Hubei province is promoting five premium travel routes to Russian visitors as part of efforts to deepen cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.

The routes are a Yangtze River cruise; an urban tour of Wuhan, the provincial capital; an ecological itinerary featuring Wudang Mountain, a renowned Taoist sanctuary, Shennongjia forestry district, the Yangtze River Three Gorges and the Enshi Grand Canyon; a historical route exploring the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) in the cities of Jingzhou, Xiangyang and Suizhou; and an ancient tea route highlighting the early tea trade between China and Russia.

The announcement came during a recent visit by a Hubei government delegation to Moscow and St. Petersburg, where it held exchanges with Russian officials, cultural and tourism organizations, hotels, airlines, travel agencies and other businesses.

During the visit, a tourism promotion and business matching event was held on Tuesday at the China Cultural Center in Moscow. A dozen travel agencies from both countries signed agreements covering channel sharing, brand co-promotion, tourism exchanges and cultural cooperation.

Six Russian institutions, including the Russian Union of Travel Industry, joined Hubei's global partners initiative. The organizations will serve as important channels and ambassadors to promote the province's cultural tourism resources across Russia.

Ju Zhaohui, director of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Hubei Provincial Committee, invited Russian visitors to experience Hubei's landscapes, history and culture firsthand.

He expressed the hope that cultural and tourism enterprises from both countries would deepen pragmatic cooperation and jointly develop high-quality cross-border travel routes.

"Hubei is an important cradle of Yangtze River civilization and Chu culture. Boasting the magnificent Yangtze River Three Gorges, the serene Wudang Mountain embodying the philosophy of harmony between humanity and nature, the enigmatic Shennongjia wilderness, mellow Chu tea, tai chi that balances vigor and grace, as well as a rich array of intangible cultural heritage, Hubei features distinctive cultural and tourism appeal," he said.

Ju also proposed establishing a long-term exchange mechanism among art troupes, youth organizations and intangible cultural heritage conservation institutions so that "the dialogue between the Yangtze River and the Volga River will continue to thrive and bring the two peoples ever closer".

Olga Migunova, vice-chairwoman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russia-China Friendship Association and a renowned Russian Sinologist, delivered a presentation titled "Hubei Through My Eyes".

She said Hubei is far more than a collection of tourist attractions, describing it as "a complete slice of civilization" with profound history, philosophical depth, magnificent natural landscapes and, above all, vibrant people.

According to Hubei authorities, Russia is both an important source of inbound tourists and a key outbound travel destination for the province. The number of Russian visitors to Hubei in the first half of this year rose by more than 40 percent year-on-year.

Ekaterina, head of the sales department at Russian travel company China Travel, said the event would help her company develop new tourism products featuring Wuhan, Yichang and other cities in Hubei.

She noted that direct flights between Moscow and Wuhan have made travel more convenient. Some of her clients traveled to Yichang to begin Yangtze River cruise tours.

"China is a very friendly country," she said.

She added that Wuhan is becoming increasingly popular among Russian tourists because of its technological innovation. Clients want to see humanoid robots, experience driverless taxis and ride Wuhan's suspended monorail, known as the "sky train".

Feng Litao, minister-counselor at the Chinese embassy in Russia and director of the China Cultural Center in Moscow, said cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties between China and Russia have continued to grow, with tourist arrivals increasing steadily. Russia ranks among the leading sources of foreign visitors to China.

He said he hopes the event will further deepen cultural and tourism cooperation between Hubei and regions across Russia, injecting fresh momentum into bilateral relations.

Hubei authorities said they will make full use of the visa-free policy to promote the province's tourism brands, including the Yellow Crane Tower and Wudang Mountain, encouraging more Russian visitors to experience its natural scenery and cultural heritage.

They also plan to expand Hubei's network of partner organizations across Russia, laying a solid foundation for deeper exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.

Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn