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Xizang tourism surges after Spring Festival Gala spotlight

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      China

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      Xizang tourism surges after Spring Festival Gala spotlight

      2025-01-31 11:39 Last Updated At:12:07

      The ancient city of Lhasa sees an unexpected boom in tourism after featuring in the China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala, the world's most-watched TV program airing on the Chinese New Year's Eve.

      The annual show, aired on Tuesday evening, selected the plateau city in the Xizang Autonomous Region for the first time as one of its stage parts along with the main venue in Beijing. A unique cultural heritage of the local ethnic groups were showcased at the sub-venue against the backdrop of the iconic Potala Palace.

      The impact was immediate. According to travel platform Ctrip, online searches for Lhasa jumped more than 100 percent compared with last week, with hotels, traditional costume rental shops, and local markets reporting significant increases in bookings.

      "I'm from Mianyang of Sichuan. I watched the promotion video about the CMG Spring Festival Gala's Xizang sub-venue. The gala's stage background will stand here until the eighth day of the Chinese new year, So I decided to come here to feel the joyous new year atmosphere," said Dai Yi, a tourist.

      The city's major attractions, including the historic Barkhor Street and Zongjiao Lukang Park, are now bustling with visitors eager to experience the unique blend of Xizang local customs and Chinese New Year celebrations.

      "The street is also beautifully decorated, and the festive vibe of the Chinese New Year is very strong. Lhasa happens to be a sub-venue, so here we can also feel the atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala," said Lei Jinjiao, a tourist.

      "I have always been longing for Xizang, and this year's Spring Festival Gala sub-venue was selected in Xizang's Lhasa, which immediately ignited my enthusiasm for travel. Since I came here, I found that this place is full of surprises," said Cui Xiaoping, another tourist.

      The surging influx of visitors during the holiday has put pressure on the city's transport infrastructure, with both the Qinghai-Xizang Railway and Lhasa's airport reporting peak passenger numbers during the holiday period.

      The 2025 gala is the first since Spring Festival's successful inclusion on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

      Xizang tourism surges after Spring Festival Gala spotlight

      Xizang tourism surges after Spring Festival Gala spotlight

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      China to implement negative list for cross-border service trade

      2025-02-27 22:31 Last Updated At:23:07

      In 2025, China will fully implement the negative list for cross-border trade in services which was rolled out last year, and launch new measures to boost opening-up in various sectors, said He Yadong, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

      He noted that developing service trade and boosting service consumption are crucial to stabilize foreign trade and drive domestic demand.

      "We will fully implement the negative list for cross-border service trade, progressively open up various sectors to international trade, take the initiative to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and work with relevant departments to introduce a batch of new measures of opening up in sectors of telecommunications, education, culture, medical care, and finance," he said.

      The ministry will also introduce policies to boost domestic consumption in sectors of household services, digital services, and sports, and increase the supply of high-quality services. Efforts will also focus on fostering new business models, innovating service consumption experiences, and improving the satisfaction of consumers, according to He.

      China rolled out the national version of negative list for cross-border trade in services in March 2024.

      The national-level list consists of 71 items. It compiles and summarizes market entry measures across various sectors, emphasizing that services and their providers in sectors not included on the list will be treated equally, whether at home or abroad, according to the ministry.

      China to implement negative list for cross-border service trade

      China to implement negative list for cross-border service trade

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