HANGZHOU Cheap Jerseys From China , May 29 (Xinhua) -- A Swiss 26-year-old has followed in the footsteps of one of the world's greatest explorers by being named a "Modern Marco Polo and Doctor of Hangzhou."
Liam Bates is currently on his first engagement in a position requiring him to do like Polo and promote east China's Zhejiang Province and its capital of Hangzhou around the world. He was chosen from thousands of candidates after a year-long competition run by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission concluded last week.
For the next 12 months, Bates will post stories of his travels around Zhejiang on social media like Facebook and Twitter in English, earning a salary of 40,000 euro (55,500 U.S. dollars).
His credentials are solid. He first came to China on his own at the age of 16 and has studied kung fu Cheap Jerseys China , cross talk, and Chinese music. Also going by the Chinese name Li Mu, he speaks fluent Chinese and in 2010 won top prize in televised language contest "Chinese Bridge." He has since worked as a television host.
To start his new job, he was given a free 15-day trip to Hangzhou and its surrounding cities to retrace Polo's route along the Grand Canal, the world's longest artificial waterway.
Hanghzou featured prominently in Polo's experience of China in the 13th century. The Italian was overwhelmed by the city Cheap Jerseys , and referred to it as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world." His reaction aroused an enduring desire among Europeans to see Hanghzou for themselves.
PASSIONS AND CHALLENGES
Bates' tour has already taken in Yongfu Temple and Chinese tea tastings.
Bates loves Chinese tea and admitted that the tasting was far more interesting for him than wandering around the temple.
The Modern Marco Polo should be helped by this identification with what facets of China are most interesting to foreigners today.
Tea appreciation is in many ways similar to that of wine in his home country, Bates explained. For him, tea is a better representation of Chinese culture and of more appeal to foreigners than traditionally popular China icons like calligraphy.
While Bates loves visiting China's many sites, being plucked from his comfortable TV job will have its challenges. He is expected to make more than 50 posts on social media during the 15-day trip, so he has to constantly be inspired by what he sees and come up with ideas.
Hangzhou is not as well known internationally as Beijing and Shanghai. "It is difficult to introduce the place to foreigners Wholesale NBA Hats ," Bates noted.
He picked one example. "Many Chinese told me Hangzhou is renowned for its West Lake. But Swiss people have access to thousands of beautiful lakes, so they're unlikely to show any interest in the West Lake."
Rather than place all his focus on famous sites then, he plans to cherry pick things about Hangzhou and Zhejiang's lifestyle and culture that will be charming in the eyes of foreigners.
"Through only a few words and photos, I want to share some special details with people of the world online," he said. "If they are interested in them Wholesale NBA T-Shirts , they will keep forwarding my posts so that Hangzhou becomes more known."
Bates, who has the account "Modern-Day Marco Polo - Liam Bates" on Facebook and Twitter, also noted how lucky he is to have modern social networking platforms, where as the original Polo only had books.
MODERN MARCO POLO'S INSIGHT
Bates believes other Chinese cities can learn from Hangzhou's promotional strategy.
He also suggested the city government make every effort to improve travel services to attract more foreigners.
"There is much room for improvement in tourism facilities and service level," he said Wholesale NBA Hoodies , taking the absence of English signs in many Chinese train stations and scenic spots as an example.
Though Bates has spent about 10 years in China, he refuses to be called a "China hand." For him, the country still has much to experience and share.
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Foreign luxury car sales in South Korea posted a double-digit increase last year despite worries that Volkswagen's emissions scandal may dent demand for imported vehicles, an industry data showed on Thursday.
Imported car sales reached 243 Wholesale NBA Jerseys ,900 units in 2015, up 24.2 percent from the previous year, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA).
The surge came despite concerns about possible fall in demand for foreign luxury cars, caused by the emissions fabricating scandal involving the German automaker Volkswagen.
Volkswagen's Tiguan 2.0 TDI BlueMotion was the most popular model last year, with 9 Wholesale Hats ,467 units sold here. It was followed by Audi's A6 35 TDI with 7,049 units sold here and BMW's 520d with 6,640 units.
BMW was the top seller of foreign luxury models by selling 47,877 units here in 2015. It was trailed by Mercedes Benz with 46,994 units and Volkswagen with 35 Wholesale T-Shirts ,778 units each. Audi came next with 32,538 units sold, and Ford ranked fifth with a sale of 10,358 units.
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