Thousands aim to be modern Marco Polo
Print Edition
Thousands of social media users around the world have put their names into the ring as part of Hangzhou’s search and competition for a modern-day Marco Polo, a “Dr Hangzhou” ambassador who will promote the scenic and historic city to the world using Internet tools.
The Hangzhou Tourism Commission in March launched the contest, which will award the winner a year-long employment contract as an ambassador worth 40,000 euros (US$51,988) and a 15-day, expense-paid tour of the city.
The tour includes Hangzhou’s tea, silk, traditional medicines, the art of sigillography (seal and chop-making) and martial arts.
Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a legendary Venetian merchant who traveled to Central Asia and China, calling Hangzhou city “beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world.”
The global recruitment campaign aims to encourage foreigners to explore Hangzhou, as the Venetian did, but starting first via the Internet.
Foreign passport holders can compete for the title “Modern Marco Polo — Dr Hangzhou” by taking part in online activities about Hangzhou on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
One of the top 20 users with the highest number of points will be selected by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission as Dr Hangzhou and the city’s tourism ambassador, with a year’s contract and a free, 15-day tour.
The online activity will extend to the beginning of 2015, when a selection will be made. The ambassador’s main job requirement is to share his or her experience in Hangzhou. He or she also will feature in a Hangzhou promotion video.
The number of people taking part in the activity reached 16,204 by August 19. The Facebook and Twitter pages of the activity had 21,196 and 709 followers, respectively.
The online programs include “Hangzhou Challenge,” “Travel Gear,” “Choosing My Chinese Name,” “My Hangzhou Menu,” “My Hangzhou Costume” and “My Hangzhou Love Story.” They feature photo and word introductions to the city as well as Q&A knowledge testing and online games.
The content on social media covers many aspects of history, art, culture, cuisine and scenery.
‘My Hangzhou Menu’
"My Hangzhou Menu” was launched in Yellow Dragon Hotel on June 27. Ten Hangzhou local mothers joined in the cook-off. The signature dishes they prepared were all made of local fresh food.
The fermented red bean curd fried with pork chops, fish ball soup and osmanthus fruit cheese pie won through their exquisite flavors and innovative preparation.
Noted chefs Ye Baorong and Jin Weikai served as judges. Ye, the executive chef of the Dragon Hotel, had his signature dish — fried shrimp with Longjing tea — featured in the food documentary "A Bite of China."
All the dishes in the cook-off were shared on the website http://pinterest.com/hangzhouchina/tea-for-two-just-me-you/ soon after the cook-off, which quickly attracted 277 followers that day.
By August 22, 1,185 people followed the "My Hangzhou Menu” on Pinterest and a total of 460 media companies had reported it around the world, including Reuters, Bloomberg Business Week and Yahoo.
"We are now in the new age of social media, and we expect to excite potential Hangzhou visitors in foreign countries by using Internet social media," said Li Hong, director of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission.
Social media
"New social media have greatly changed the times and have merged into the tide of tourism promotion. Eighty percent of travelers first search online information about their destination before they actually take a tour," said John Liu, Google's global vice president and president for China, who was at the press conference of the activity on March 11.
In a speech, he said Google would upload onto YouTube 360-degree panoramic videos showing Hangzhou's scenic sites such as West Lake, Xixi Wetland and the Grand Canal.
West Lake has gained fame for being on the UNESCO World Heritage list. But through captivating events on Hangzhou's Facebook page and the interactive features of the four social network platforms, the Hangzhou Tourism Commission aims to promote Hangzhou as a fashionable city representative of Asia, rather than merely a Chinese city that has maintained some cultural relics.
In addition to the awards, the organizer will distribute gifts featuring Hangzhou's traditional cultures.
Through this event, Hangzhou becomes the first Chinese city to use all four social platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
