On June 21st and 22nd, 10 international fans of "Go Jiangsu" social media trips from 9 countries including Canada, Mexico, Italy, Ghana and so on travelled along the Shanghai-Nanjing Highway for the “Explore Jiangsu's Modern Highways” experience to feel the changes taking place at the rest and service areas while experiencing the quality development of Jiangsu.
Rest and service areas (RSAs) in east China's Jiangsu Province are no less popular than tourist attractions. They are not just for the weary travelers looking for a quick stop, but also the locals who come here for recreation.
The RSAs in the province have been constructed in a way that they highlight the "Jiangsu Style." Besides providing services for the visitors, they also serve as windows to get acquainted with the cities and counties they are in.
On the afternoon of June 21st, participants visited one of Jiangsu's busiest and most attractive RSAs, the Yangchenghu RSA. Located at the intersection of the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway and Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, the RSA includes traditional Suzhou gardens, intangible cultural heritage exhibition hall, science and technology museum as well as modern shopping centers. At the RSA, international fans visited the classical garden to sense the charm of Suzhou aside from appreciating the fashion show of Suzhou embroidery cheongsam, a perfect combination of traditional Chinese handicraft and clothing. The 10 international fans consist of warm-hearted retired teacher, owner of PR company and students studying in China. Among them, Peter Arthur from Canada, who has lived in Wuxi since 2001, shared his feelings of living in Jiangsu during the past two decades.
Going along the highway, participants also got to experience marvels at the two neighboring cities, Suzhou and Changzhou.
At the Imperial Kiln Bricks Museum of Suzhou, they were presented with a detailed demonstration of the life of high-standard bricks in ancient China.
The night tour at the Wangshi Garden, or the Master of Nets Garden, also offered these fans a brand-new experience. As the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens, it is the most impressive by creating a highly diversified visiting experience while embodying a mood of tranquility and harmony in such limited space. The performances of Jiangnan Sizhu music, Suzhou Pingtan, Guqin music and Kunqu Opera also gave visitors a taste of this ancient city and its cultural flavor.
The dinosaur-theme Fangmaoshan RSA and the Qingguoxiang Historical and Cultural Block in Changzhou offered a more natural experience, where international fans saw many dinosaur sculptures, took escalators decorated with reproductions of giant white dinosaur ribs on both sides and even learned about dinosaurs on the bathroom doors in the site's restrooms. In Qingguoxiang, the expats visited museums of local intellectuals and learned from the master of traditional combs craftsmanship.
From April 2018, the Information Office of Jiangsu Provincial People's Government and China Daily have invited over 100 overseas followers of Facebook and Twitter account "Jiangsu, China" to visit different parts of Jiangsu, and experience a variety of cultural activities. The trip to Suzhou and Changzhou is the second Go Jiangsu trip in 2021, and more are about to come.
Separately, an RSA in Changzhou City has been built into a Jurassic-themed park.
