Tongren mayor sees prosperous future for city

Tongren in Guizhou province, known as the "City of Matcha", plans to organize more international forums related to its famous Fanjing Mountain and sports events, and diversify its matcha products to attract overseas tourists, Mayor Mu Rongkun said.

"We will explore our potential in ecological resources, especially making good use of the fame of Fanjing Mountain to host international forums and events on ecology and biodiversity, to enhance international visibility," Mu said.

More sporting events like the Fanjing Mountain Marathon and road cycling races are expected to develop into international events, he said, adding that the marathon will be run on Sunday.

Fanjing Mountain, part of the Wuling Mountain range, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 and is home to a conservation area, a nature reserve and a number of Buddhist temples. It has been considered a sacred site for centuries.

Based on the rich natural and cultural resources, the tourism sector has grown into a pillar industry in the city.

Tourist visits last year were up 9 percent on the figure in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, with tourism spending up 14 percent.

"Overseas tourists are mainly from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, and Hong Kong and Macao residents are also a major source," Mu said.

"We will accelerate the official opening of Tongren Fenghuang Airport as an aviation port, and increase international flights to explore overseas markets."

The airport was granted temporary permission to operate as an aviation port in November 2017, and started direct flights to Bangkok, Thailand, in August 2018, and flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, in Vietnam, in 2019.