China - Tourism's Awakening Giant

There’s an apocryphal story about the British politician who went to China and ate his first official banquet, only to later discover that he’d not only enjoyed the sweet and sour pork, but also mistakenly eaten the floral display.

And so it was with a wry smile that I helped myself to food in Hefei’s Empark Grand Hotel in China’s Anhui Province, next to a sign that advised guests that certain parts of the buffet were for display purposes only and should not be consumed!

I was there at the invite of the regional government to witness the opening ceremony of the 14th Anhui International Culture and Tourism Festival, and was still reeling from a 22-hour journey that had involved a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong, where I had already ‘done the island’ in nigh on eight hours.