Suzhou held a promotion event at the Field Museum in Chicago recently, marking the first in-person event hosted by Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism abroad since the resumption of outbound trips.
Suzhou silk ran through the whole event. A cheongsam show was staged, with Chinese dancers from Yin He Dance putting on the modern cheongsam designed by Tanjerine Studios, a designer brand in Chicago, and dancing with Suzhou fans in their hands. In addition, silk eye masks made by Sangshang, a local silk brand in Suzhou, wowed the visitors with exquisite designs. Silk became a tangible symbol of the beauty of Suzhou at the event.
The event also featured eight rocks from Suzhou to introduce the classical gardens of Suzhou, which have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and performance arts in Suzhou represented by pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect) and Kunqu Opera.
Besides, Suzhou yesterday welcomed its first foreign travel group since the resumption of outbound and inbound group travel. It’s also the first large-scale group (over 80 people) visiting the city in the past three years.
The group came from Indonesia and planned to stay in the city for two days and one night. They would visit the Couple’s Retreat Garden, Hanshan Temple, Jinji Lake and many other scenic spots, feeling Suzhou-style life while learning more about the traditional culture in Jiangnan (regions south of the Yangtze River) and new trends in the city.
According to Zhu Shengwen, Chief of the Foreign Exchanges and Cooperation Division of Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, Suzhou launched “Suzhou, China with Style” in 2020 to promote its tourism abroad. After inbound trips resumed, Suzhou will advance the recovery of its inbound tourism, and, by going global and welcoming overseas visits, promote international cultural and tourism cooperation both online and offline.