1. LINE

      Text:AAAPrint
      Society

      Chinese tourists discover real America

      1
      2017-04-26 14:24chinadaily.com.cn Editor: Wang Fan ECNS App Download

      Try a locally flavored meal, get your shoes shined, mail a postcard or just grab some groceries. More and more Chinese family travelers are opting to taste the flavor of old Los Angeles at a legendary farmers market.

      "They are increasingly open to explore real stories of American people," said Lexie Wei, a Los Angeles-based tourism consultant. "Chinese tourists' interest and tastes have improved. They want stories."

      Wei's recent WeChat blog on the Original Farmers Market, an old farmers market in Los Angeles city, has generated more than 60,000 views in just a few weeks.

      An article introducing the market's history and stories behind its shops and restaurants turned out to be a hit with the Chinese audience.

      "It's not just an average farmers market. It has a rich history. It is a microcosm of the American culture, and represents the vicissitudes of Los Angeles and even the history of Chinese immigration," said Wei.

      Chinese visitors get a taste of old Los Angeles at the Original Farmers Market. (Provided to China Daily)
      Chinese visitors get a taste of old Los Angeles at the Original Farmers Market. (Provided to China Daily)

      Established in 1934, the open-air market has more than 100 different shops, restaurants and grocers. It evolved from a traditional farmers market, where farmers sold their vegetables and produce to local customers, to a tourist destination. Two Chinese restaurants have been there for decades.

      "The market is a unique place with a lot of history and charm. It's a cultural landmark in Los Angeles," said Maritza Cerrato, marketing and tourism specialist with the Original Farmers Market.

      "Ninety percent of the shops are family owned and operated. You can meet the owners, and in many shops you can see multi-generations of families working side-by-side," said Cerrato. "Local people come here and sit at the same table every day, read newspapers and talk about the news with their friends. This is a place for visitors and locals to meet."

      Meeting local people and learning stories of human interest are the top reasons the farmers market is gaining popularity among Chinese travelers.

      "There is a sandwich shop run by the original owner in his 90s, a toy store operated by a veteran and an Asian restaurant run by an American couple who had lived in Singapore for many years," said Wei.

      The US tour operators need to dig deep and present these stories to Chinese visitors, because in the future travelers aged 25 to 35 will make up the majority of the overseas Chinese tourists and they tend to focus on the cultural experience, said Wei.

      "A combination of nature, stories and urban development will mostly resonate with Chinese visitors," she said.

      The Original Farmers Market started noticing the increase in Chinese visitors a year ago.

      "We have been proactively reaching out to the Chinese travel market and welcoming Chinese visitors for a number of years," said Cerrato.

      The market is a "China Ready" program designation, which means they offer Chinese-language brochures, a Chinese-version website and accept UnionPay, a popular bank card in China.

      Not top market yet, China is definitely a fast growing market, with 20 to 30 percent of international tourists Chinese, according to Cerrato.

      In January the market celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year with Chinese cuisine and traditional performances for the first time.

      A hand-crafted steel rooster sculpture made by the market's own craftsmen was displayed at the Farmers Market Plaza next to the iconic Clock Tower to celebrate the Year of Rooster. The 430-pound, 5-foot-tall sculpture will be a permanent display.

      "It was so much fun and we will do it again next year to welcome more Chinese," said Cerrato.

        

      Related news

      MorePhoto

      Most popular in 24h

      MoreTop news

      MoreVideo

      News
      Politics
      Business
      Society
      Culture
      Military
      Sci-tech
      Entertainment
      Sports
      Odd
      Features
      Biz
      Economy
      Travel
      Travel News
      Travel Types
      Events
      Food
      Hotel
      Bar & Club
      Architecture
      Gallery
      Photo
      CNS Photo
      Video
      Video
      Learning Chinese
      Learn About China
      Social Chinese
      Business Chinese
      Buzz Words
      Bilingual
      Resources
      ECNS Wire
      Special Coverage
      Infographics
      Voices
      LINE
      Back to top Links | About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
      Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
      Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
      主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲午夜国产精品| 亚洲一区二区三区国产精品| 亚洲人成在线电影| 一个人免费视频观看在线www | 亚欧人成精品免费观看| 亚洲国产老鸭窝一区二区三区| 中国好声音第二季免费播放| 亚洲日韩v无码中文字幕| 免费无码H肉动漫在线观看麻豆| 最新亚洲成av人免费看| 日本三级在线观看免费| 亚洲天堂中文字幕| 老司机在线免费视频| 亚洲色成人四虎在线观看| 男男AV纯肉无码免费播放无码 | 久久九九全国免费| 亚洲视频免费观看| 日韩精品成人无码专区免费| 亚洲欧美日韩一区二区三区 | 最近2019免费中文字幕6| 亚洲第一网站免费视频| 日本精品人妻无码免费大全| 色偷偷噜噜噜亚洲男人| 亚洲伊人久久成综合人影院| 久久免费美女视频| 亚洲 日韩 色 图网站| 国产精品美女自在线观看免费| 五月天国产成人AV免费观看| 亚洲日韩国产精品第一页一区| 亚州免费一级毛片| 免费看黄福利app导航看一下黄色录像| 亚洲综合另类小说色区色噜噜| 99在线观看精品免费99| 亚洲熟妇无码八V在线播放| 国产日产亚洲系列最新| 麻豆成人久久精品二区三区免费| 亚洲国产成人99精品激情在线| heyzo亚洲精品日韩| 久久精品毛片免费观看| 男女猛烈xx00免费视频试看| 亚洲国产综合专区在线电影|