BEIJING: During China’s National Day holiday, 18 students participated in a study tour in North China to learn about and appreciate traditional Chinese architecture.
They explored features like mortise-and-tenon joints and the iconic loong figures curled around pillars at Jinci, a renowned temple complex in Shanxi province, dating back over 1,400 years.
“We hope this tour will inspire an appreciation for architectural aesthetics in these children from Sichuan province and allow them to experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture,” said Kan Li, one of the four teachers who served as guides during the study tour.
During the week-long National Day holiday starting on Oct 1, Chinese people take a break to travel and enjoy leisure activities.
This year, the country’s transport sector is expected to handle a daily average of 277 million passenger trips during the holiday, a 19.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The holiday has seen a surge in cultural tours focused on ancient architecture, spurred by the popularity of the video game “Black Myth: Wukong.” The game is based on Sun Wukong, the iconic character from “Journey to the West,” one of China’s four great classical novels, frequently adapted into TV series, movies and games over the years.
“Black Myth: Wukong” features 36 filming locations across the country, with 27 located in Shanxi, leading to a phenomenal travel boom in the province. Data from Qunar, a leading online travel agency in China, shows that hotel bookings for the National Day holiday in Shanxi doubled year-on-year. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item