Addressing the Culture and Tourism Promotion Conference of Huangshan, Anhui Province in Hong Kong on Aug 4, Ling Yun, Party leader of Huangshan city, notes that Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation.  (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Direct flights between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the city of Huangshan, Anhui province, are set to begin soon, promising greater convenience for travelers and investors and boosting economic ties between the two.

Bernard Chan Pak-li, Hong Kong undersecretary for commerce and economic development, made the remarks on Friday at the Cultural and Tourism Promotion Conference of Huangshan in Hong Kong. Dignitaries of the SAR, representatives from the local tourism sector, and Huangshan government officials shared views on the tourism and investment potential of the city in East China.

Hong Kong is a significant source of external investment for Huangshan and the whole of Anhui province, and the two are closely intertwined as economic and trade partners, Chan said. Hong Kong can provide entrepreneurial and investment services to firms from the city and the province, and help them expand their overseas markets.

Bernard Chan Pak-li, Hong Kong undersecretary for commerce and economic development, addresses the Culture and Tourism Promotion Conference of Huangshan, Anhui province in eastern Kowloon on Aug 4, 2023. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

According to Chan, more than 4,000 companies from Hong Kong are registered in Anhui, while roughly 80 Anhui companies set up business branches in Hong Kong, with 18 of them listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Ling Yun, Party leader of Huangshan city, said Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation.

“In the emotional world of the Chinese people, Huangshan is a special being,” Ling said. Mount Huangshan has three supreme titles, of a world natural and cultural heritage site, a world geopark, and a world biosphere reserve, and is endowed with five unique features, including wondrous pines, strange rocks, sea of clouds, hot springs, and winter snow.

Ling said she hopes the city deepens its collaboration with Hong Kong in fields, such as trade, culture, tourism and education. She is encouraging people to visit there and experience its “beauty and exquisite culture of Hui style”.

“Yingkesong, or the Greeting Pine, is an invitation extended to people from all over the world,” Ling said. The Greeting Pine, over 1,000 years old and set high among Huangshan peaks, is one of China’s most famous trees.

Huangshan Vice-Mayor Zhang Yaqiang uses English in briefing the conference on the city of natural beauty and cultural heritage as an “international meeting hall”.

Huangshan Vice-Mayor Zhang Yaqiang, in a speech delivered in English, also welcomed businesspeople and investors to seek opportunities in the city, which he described as an “international meeting hall” for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Last year, Huangshan hosted more than 70 diplomatic events, Zhang said. This summer, the 2023 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’s Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation Forum was successfully convened in Huangshan.

With its natural beauty and rich heritage, Huangshan is home to some Fortune Global 500 enterprises, including French construction giant Saint-Gobain as well as paint and coatings manufacturer PPG Industries.

Vice-Mayor of Huangshan Liu Li invites all people to visit the grand “roofless museum” of Huangshan at the conference in Hong Kong on Aug 4.

Liu Li, who is also vice-mayor of Huangshan, invited Hong Kong people and tourists from the Asia-Pacific to experience the natural landscapes, traditional villages, and local cuisine.

Liu invited everyone to visit this grand “roofless museum” of Huangshan, and said that to explore nature’s wonders one has to tour, to experience cuisine one has to taste, to enjoy indigenous housing one has to live in them, and to seek folk customs one has to appreciate them.

Zhang Dehui, chairman of Huangshan Tourism Development, said that tourists from Hong Kong rank among the top three groups to the scenic park. 

Contact the writer at tianyuanzhang@chinadailyhk.com