Int'l youth in China commend Guizhou's outdoor sports, cultural tourism development

GUIYANG, China, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- In recent years, with the support of various outdoor mountainous sports and popular ethnic sports events, Guizhou has continuously attracted many domestic and overseas tourists to enjoy the region's colorful ethnic culture and rich sporting atmosphere.

Jumping out of traditional sightseeing tourism, Guizhou has gradually explored a path of integrated development of cultural and sports tourism, which combines outdoor sports and mountainous tourism with cultural inheritance.

Since coming China in 2022, Vrushti Jitendra Balad of India has been shooting videos to record her life in China. Upon coming to Guizhou for the first time, Vrushti said that "Guizhou is so beautiful, and it has a variety of mountains, waters, blue sky and white clouds. People are so colorful by their heart and their culture."

"I had seen videos about the highest bridge in the world just on social media before. People have posted videos about Guizhou like that, but I had never visited here. This time, I feel proud because I saw it with my eyes and experienced a variety of exciting mountainous outdoor sports, which is really exciting," Vrushti said.

The breathtaking mountain peaks and valleys and beautiful mountain streams have become the incubator for a wide variety of outdoor sports options and diverse tourist routes in Guizhou.

It has also made Guizhou a "must-see tourist destination" for many mountainous outdoor sports enthusiasts. In addition to sightseeing, Chinese and overseas tourists also have the chance to experience more novel outdoor sports.

Neslihan Kilavuz of Turkey decided to live in Shenzhen, south China, after meeting her husband. Staying in China for five years, she recorded her daily life to let more people know about the real China. Neslihan became an influencer and opened her social media account "Nesli in China" on YouTube and Instagram.

"I didn't know that Guizhou was a very nice place to have fun, so many outdoor sports. We did drifting, kayaking, motorboat and climbing. So many things, it's very exciting and happy, and I'm looking forward to coming here again with my family," said Neslihan.

"When I was kayaking, I also shot a lot of videos. These videos have been posted on YouTube, and my followers asked me where I am, and I proudly answer that I'm in Guizhou," Neslihan added.

Mouhamed Tamba Diouf, an international student in China, is from Senegal, and smiled brightly when he mentioned his experiences of riding ATVs. "It was a special experience for me, both thrilling and exciting, and my friends and I had a lot of fun in Guizhou," Diouf said.

Rafael Antonio Saavedra Molina is from Venezuela. He has been sightseeing around China over the past three years, filming and producing videos about China's "super projects."

"Different projects happening here in China, like bridge, tunnel, highways and high-speed train. I'm trying to focus on that a lot. Guizhou is rich in mountainous resources. Especially when it comes to development in the structure and social development. I like to share that kind of story when I see this transformation for regular people getting benefits and convenience from economic and transportation development," said Rafael.

"In Guizhou, visitors have diverse outdoor sports options. Drifting, climbing and jogging, there are plenty of great outdoor activities to choose from. These projects are so much fun, I like them very much, and I will definitely come back."

After enjoying Guizhou's magnificent mountains and waterfalls, Douglas Dueno from the United States hailed his unforgettable "tour of discovery" in the mountainous region.

"Guizhou is 'China's Hidden Gem'. It offers a wealth of cultural diversity, stunning landscapes and unique outdoor sports experiences that rival any other tourist destination in the world. I also hope that through my videos on social media, I can share stories and insights to the world about the real China and colorful Guizhou," Douglas said.