Kunming, 24 February 2019 – The Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 started on Saturday, 23 February, and will run until 1 March with the Thai delegation starting their adventure from Thailand for the first time.
The friendship caravan was normally organised from China to Thailand, but for the 2019 edition the journey started in Thailand with the circle route running through Kunming, Yunnan province, stopping in key towns and cities around Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said, “The objective of this event is to strengthen Thai-Chinese relations and promote culture and tourism between the two countries. This is achieved through a specially-designed route and activities of the caravan trip. It helps build Thailand’s positive tourism image and gives confidence to Chinese tourists. This time we are targeting visitors from China’s secondary cities.”
The Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 starts with the Thai delegation flying from Bangkok to Kunming to take part in a special ‘quality tourism road show’ event that also hosts another 30 local tourism operators and media for cultural exchanges.
The caravan itself officially starts on the second day with an opening ceremony. Throughout the journey, participants will drive through Guizhou’s stunning scenery, one of China’s unspoiled provinces, covering about 1,900 kilometres.
Stops on the route include: Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest waterfall in China; the ancient towns of Xiasi, Kaili and Zhen Yuan; Xi Jiang, home to China’s largest Miao village. The trip’s highlight includes a stop at the Beipanjiang Bridge, recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s highest bridge equal to a 200-floor skyscraper. The caravan concludes in Kunming with the Thai delegation flying back to Bangkok.
Cultural exchange performances from Thailand include a four-region folk dance and a fun Isan dance medley. A Chinese peacock dance, Hulusi music performance (The cucurbit flute) and the ‘Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group’ performance, a UNESCO-listed Intangible Cultural Heritage listing, complete China’s cultural offering.
