Tourism

Here in this area are many beautiful tourist places and they are popular with Chinese who like to drive around and visit the historical and beautiful places in their area.

But it is very frustrating for English speakers as they appear not to cater for them much at all. There is a good website about Shaoxing, which I found very helpful, but it is frustrating me. On the site it talks about some of the historical and beautiful places, it even has a page of details of the cost of entering these places, but I can't seem to find out where they are.

And the students don't seem to know either.

In this area there is a museum featuring the late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai's life. He was a native of Shaoxing. But I can't find where it is. There is an East Lake Scenic Spot - and I can't find the East Lake. There are two special historic places - the former homes of Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin - both writers or poets I believe, and there is a famous Orchid Pavilion. No one can tell me where it is.

The area in their brochure claims that 18 million tourists visited the area in 2006, and that 280,00 of those were international tourists. There are 81 hotels including three 5-star hotels, five 4-star ones, and thirty two 3-star ones.

Perhaps that is something I can do with my students. Get them to help me prepare information for English speaking tourists. And perhaps translate some of the menus in the various canteens too!

I'll have to check on the protocol for that!

From my window I can see the statue of Yu the great - but we have been unable to find how to get there. It is high on the mountain and for me beyond walking. Is there a bus? Can a taxi go? Who knows.