A tourist from inland province revisited the Khunjerab Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during this seven-day National Day holiday, not only for a tour at the major trade port between China and Pakistan, but also for tracing back a friendship with a young Uyghur boy.
Wang Mingzhou, the tourist from north China's Shanxi Province, paid a tour at the Khunjerab Pass four years ago, when he made friend in a restaurant with the boy named Umaier Eli, who was just five years old then.
"I was ordering food but couldn't read the Uygur menu, but the owner was too busy to help me. So, I asked the boy for help. He came over singing and dancing. We were all happy," Wang recalled.
The enthusiastic boy impressed Wang deeply, and he decided to visited him again during this visit.
Before this visit, Wang made great efforts to find the little boy, as Wang doesn't have any contact information about the boy. At a naan shop, he met the now nine-year-old Umaier Eli.
Wang bought a football from his hometown as a gift for Eli, and Eli danced for Wang to express his appreciation.
"I like football, and I will cherish it forever," said Eli.
At parting, Eli gifted Wang a package of naan, a type of leavened flatbread and a staple of people in Xinjiang. Wang expressed his hope to invite Eli to visit his hometown in Shanxi and the national capital, Beijing. This pure friendship, crossing mountains, still shines at the border pass.
Khunjerab Pass witnesses friendship between Han and Uyghur ethnic groups
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
