The many charms of Rabat

Chellah, the ruins of an old Roman city, is considered the oldest human settlement on the banks of the Bou Regreg River. Liu Lu / For China Daily

Despite having long had relations with Beijing, Morocco is still a mystery to most Chinese.

The moment I discovered I was going to visit this distant North African country, my mind was full of romantic scenes from Casablanca, the 1942 movie about World War II intrigue starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

But beyond this Hollywood film, most Chinese know very little about the country, despite is having long served as an important link between the West and other parts of the world.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Morocco is in great contrast to those heading to Europe. In 2013, France attracted about 1.4 million Chinese tourists. However, in Morocco, the number was only 1,000, and even that might be an optimistic estimate, according to the Chinese embassy in Morocco.

But despite the limited number of Chinese traveling to the North African country, as a strategic nation and a crossroads between Europe and Africa, Morocco, one of the world's oldest kingdoms, has enjoyed a growing popularity among international travelers as a premier holiday destination.

While many tourists flock to Casablanca and Marrakesh, I was amazed to find that Rabat, Morocco's political and administrative capital since independence in 1956, is an unknown gem with beautiful scenery and splendid history. I could not stop thinking about how this beautiful coastal city has stolen my heart.

Rabat means "fortified place". The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River. The population is only about 1 million people.