To give a glimpse of the rich art, culture and tradition enjoyed by Sichuan, a Cultural Evening was held at DLF Place, Saket in Delhi on 9th April, 2016 post the conference held by Sichuan Tourism Administration on 7th April in the capital. The cultural evening, which was attended by guests and dignitaries from China and India, showcased the art and cultural performances by artists from China.
The performances at the cultural evening brought alive the rich culture and tradition enjoyed by various ethnic groups of China. Performances such as Sichuan Opera Face Changing Performance, Tea Art Performances, and interactions with Panda Dolls took place along with some dance numbers and performances from Bollywood as well. The traditions, local customs and culture of Sichuan are celebrated in forms of various art performances which include Sichuan opera, the oldest form of Chinese opera characterized by face-changing, fire-spitting and other stunts; tea art performances; puppet shows; lamp rolling, etc.
The Conference by Sichuan Tourism Administration which was held in the city on 7th April before this cultural evening had also brought out the rich tradition, cultural and ethnic diversity of Sichuan which makes this province an exciting tourism destination to unravel. Being inhabited by multiple ethnic groups with China’s largest Yi ghetto and the only place in China where Qiang ethnic group resides, Sichuan is known as “the Ethnic Corridor” of China.
During the visit, Mr. Wang Ning, Executive Vice Governor, Sichuan remarked “In 2015, Sichuan gained total revenue of 62.10 billion Yuan from tourism, an increase of 27 percent. Now we are making efforts to build Sichuan as an economically powerful province and a world tourist base. Both India and Sichuan are fascinating tourism destination. Just like India, Sichuan has rich ancient heritage, cultural diversity and centuries old civilization which we take immense pride in. I am hopeful that the Conference will help Indian people better understand Sichuan and create a positive atmosphere for the tourism in Sichuan from India.”
Mr. Song Ming, Deputy Director General, Sichuan Tourism Administration also said “With its picturesque scenery, rich wildlife, unique religious beliefs, rustic folk customs and magnificent history, Sichuan is a magical land for traveller who feels after coming to Sichuan that living in utopia is no longer a distant dream.” He further added that “This visit is an important launching pad for us to boost tourism from India to Sichuan and is a precursor of an action plan that includes a number of incentives and trial measures for travellers as well as tour operators from India.”
Known for its Giant Pandas and world famous spicy cuisine, Sichuan and its Tourism Administration aimed through this conference to spread better awareness about the province amongst Indian travellers with its tagline as “Sichuan – More than Pandas”.
Sichuan Tourism Administration highlighted the province to be home to not only the giant pandas, but also to diverse art and culture, breathtaking natural beauty, unique culinary, ancient history and vast resources which makes it the tourism cynosure of China.
Sichuan, located in the hinterland of south west China has complex and diverse topography with plateaus in west, Sichuan basin in middle and hilly region in east. Sichuan has favourable geographical and ecological resources with more than 4000 tourist attractions which includes 9 of 5A level scenic spots, 5 world heritage sites, 4 world biosphere reserves, 2 World Geo Parks, 21 China’s best tourist cities. The complex and volatile natural environment of Sichuan gives birth to a rich wildlife making it a home to rare species including 80% of the world’s giant pandas, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, black bears, rare birds, plants and trees.
The delegation also highlighted the great reputation enjoyed by the spicy Sichuan cuisine famous worldwide for its spices, unique cooking and heavy local hot and spicy flavour. In nutshell, it reiterated what is often said that “To eat in China, taste in Sichuan”.