Recently, veteran media professional Hu Xijin posted on social media about outbound travel, and unusually, he offered a series of rather straightforward suggestions to young tourists based on his many years of interviewing experience.

The article begins with a recent public topic, with Hu Xijin mentioning at the outset: "We see news of Chinese tourists getting into trouble in Southeast Asia from time to time." He frankly admits that he traveled all over the country for work when he was young, "interviewing many grassroots people in foreign countries and visiting more than 200 foreigners' homes," giving him firsthand experience with travel safety and experiences in different regions.

When discussing popular outbound destinations, he directly advised young tourists: "One or two trips to Southeast Asia is enough; don't go endlessly, and the same goes for Japan and South Korea." In his view, both types of destinations have obvious shortcomings: "Southeast Asia isn't safe enough, and Japan and South Korea aren't very interesting." He cited South Korea as an example, saying bluntly, "For instance, if you visit a folk museum in South Korea, the clay sculptures of games Korean children used to play are all things that my childhood friends and I used to play. The exoticism is too low." He added that "South Korean society isn't very friendly to Chinese tourists," further lowering the travel experience.

Compared to repeatedly visiting neighboring countries, Hu Xijin recommends in-depth domestic travel: "China is vast and has many ethnic groups. I suggest visiting Xinjiang, Tibet, and Yunnan, which are much more interesting than many overseas trips." He specifically listed several representative destinations: Kashgar and Hotan in southern Xinjiang are "full of exotic charm," and "Xinjiang is very safe now." The unique time difference also makes the travel experience more distinctive—"11 pm is equivalent to less than 9 pm in Beijing, and the night markets are particularly interesting"; Linzhi in Tibet is "a low-lying area in Tibet, where altitude sickness is very mild," and in his eyes, it has "one of the most beautiful natural landscapes I have ever seen in the world."

He also specifically mentioned the Hexi Corridor route in Gansu, saying, "Rent a car in Dunhuang and take a trip along the Hexi Corridor, passing through Jiayuguan, Zhangye, and Wuwei. See if it will be more unforgettable than going to the Philippines."

Hu Xijin clarified that he is not against outbound travel: "I'm not saying we shouldn't go abroad. Traveling abroad broadens horizons and is certainly good for leisure. But safety should be the top priority, and we should also go to more worthwhile places." Among all overseas destinations, he most approves of Europe: "The most interesting place to travel abroad is Europe: England, France, Germany, and Italy offer completely different exotic experiences, and they are safe. They are a bit more expensive, but it's worth it to replace two trips to Japan and South Korea with one trip to Europe."

At the end of the article, he used a friend's experience to introduce his thoughts on the domestic tourism industry: "A friend who has been to Thailand more than a dozen times said: It's because it's cheap, cheaper than traveling domestically." He then reminded, "This is a reminder to China: to compete with Southeast Asian countries for domestic tourists, prices cannot be too high."

(Source: China.com)