A Speech by Shi Ailin, vice director of Administration of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum at the news Release of International Plum-Blossom Festival, Nanjing China
February 19, 2008
Friends from the news media:
Ho do you do!
As one of the sponsors of International Plum-Blossom Festival, Nanjing, China, our administration is chiefly in charge of organizing the opening ceremony of this festival and arranging festive activities related to the main venue. Now, I am going to talk about three aspects as follows and your questions are welcome.
1. The situation and tendency of plum-blossoms this year:
In 2005, the southern part of Plum-Blossom Hill was made scenic “Plum-Blossom Valley” through expansion. With Plum-Blossom Hill and Plum-Blossom Valley integrated, the area of Plum-Blossom Hill has increased to be 1533 mu (one hectare equals 15 mu)) , with over 35000 plum trees of more than 350 kinds planted. Among them, 114 kinds cultivated on Plum-Blossom Hill have been listed as international varieties, hence enjoying “International trademarks”. Plum-Blossom Hill has become a famous “Card of eco-tourism” in Nanjing as an ancient capital, truly deserving its reputation as “Number one plum-blossom hill in the world”.
Our administration has been devoting lots of manpower, materials and money to the maintenance and management of plum trees on Plum-Blossom Hill and Plum-Blossom Valley. Particularly over the past more than two years since Plum-Blossom Valley was built, we have been constantly reinforcing various kinds of maintenance and management of over 20000 newly planted plum trees, making the scenic effect of Plum-Blossom Valley more and more desirable. In order to make a success of the plum-blossom festival this year, we have specially established a brand-new system of “Chief foretellers of plum-blossoms”. There is a team composed of eight professional plum-blossom researchers of our administration. Through the collection of data, observation of the situation on plum-blossoms in accordance with previous experiences and weather changes this year, experts on plum-blossoms and chief foretellers of plum-blossoms timely publicize news through the media to enable local citizens and tourists to be informed of which kind of plum-blossoms or which area of plum-blossoms are the most suitable for enjoyment before their tour, hence enabling them to reasonably choose the time and route for the tour. Meanwhile, they introduce relevant knowledge on identifying and appreciating plum-blossoms, not only to enable tourists to enjoy plum-blossoms, but also perceive rich knowledge of plum-culture. The establishment of the system of “Chief foretellers of plum-blossoms” takes the lead among all tourist areas in China. Chief foretellers of plum-blossoms started their work in this January, publicizing the situation of plum-blossoms to local citizens and tourists at regular intervals through provincial and municipal media.
At present, according to rough judgment of chief foretellers of plum-blossoms, plum-blossoms are gradually advancing from “first bloom of blossoms” to ”full bloom of blossoms” due to continuous rise of temperature and ample sunshine in recent days. As anticipated, nearly 20% of plum trees bloomed with early and mid-term flowers on February 22 when the opening ceremony of the festival took place（ about 20% of single plum trees bloomed）. Because of preceding heavy snow as well as influence of continuous low temperature and freezing ice, those plum trees marked by early and mid-term flowers bloomed in a quite concentrated period this year. On February 22 when the opening ceremony of the festival took place, those plum trees marked by early and mid-term flowers all bloomed for Chinese and foreign tourists. Among them, Nanjing Red, Kouziyudie, Green Plum-Blossoms with Overlapped Petals and Iron-Bone Red bloom well for admiration. The best place for enjoying plum-blossoms is the southern slope of Plum-Blossom Hill. Besides, the new plum-garden in the east of Plum-Blossom Hill sees more newly planted plum-trees of new varieties as nearly 5000 plum trees are of excellent varieties with pretty high value for enjoyment. It is another nice place for enjoying plum-blossoms.
2. Festive activities of the main venue:
The theme of 2008 Plum-Blossom Festival is：“Enjoying blossoms on 10000 plum trees · Disseminating the spirit of universal love—Meeting on the number one plum-blossom hill in the world.” On February 22, the opening ceremony was held at Plum-Blossom Hill in the scenic area of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum. The opening ceremony was not only joined by the Forefront Cultural Troupe of Nanjing Military Region, but also by excellent performance of Yin Xiumei, a famous singer who had just finished her performance at the evening party of Spring Festival, Haoge, a black singer and the runner-up of 2008 “Star avenue” sponsored by CCTV. They expressed their love for China, Nanjing and plum-blossoms.
During the Plum-Blossom Festival this year（from February 22 to March 22），the scenic area of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum has meticulously prepared a set of “grand activities” for Chinese and foreign tourists as follows:
On the large lawn of Plum-Blossom Hill, for a whole month fro February 16 to March 16, Guangxi Nanning Oriental Youth Art Troupe, an art organization from the hometown of Sister Liu Sanjie, dances and sings in a strong flavor of southern China every day for broad masses of tourists.
In order to promote joyful life and all-round development of children, our administration has also started the first activity of selecting “Small angels of plum-blossoms” in cooperation with Provincial Committee of Work for Children and Child Channel of Jiangsu TV Station. In other words, a batch of “Small angels of plum-blossoms” will be selected respectively in Nanjing, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Suzhou, Changzhou, Nantong, Yancheng and Suqian in Jiangsu province. The final result of the selection will be declared in mid-March. By then, leaders of municipal government will be invited to grant certificates to “Small angels of plum-blossoms” at the evening party. Children aged from 6 to 12 in the province can all apply for the selection. The telephone for application is: 83276600 of Child Channel, Jiangsu TV Station.
At the same time, an activity for collecting calligraphic works and paintings of children was initiated across the province at the end of last year. So far, children of Nanjing, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Yancheng, Suqian, Nantong, Suzhou in Jiangsu province have offered nearly 1200 calligraphic works, paintings, paper-cuttings and pin-up pictures, 635 of which have been selected as excellent ones for exhibition. Works of Nanjing, Yancheng and Suqian are exhibited in the Longevity Palace on Plum-Blossom Hill, while calligraphic works and paintings of children of other cities are exhibited in the Center of Plum Research of Plum-Blossom Valley. The youngest child attending the exhibition is only five years. These works full of childlikeness describe the dream of children with colorful life.
In addition, with “Harmonious, cultural, aromatic, delicious and friendly Nanjing” as the theme, we have started a series of activities featured by “Plum trees in full blossom symbolic of five kinds of happiness“. In the scenic area, tourists can enjoy folk exhibitions and performances of strong rustic characteristics of Nanjing as well as an Exhibition of Collection of Folk Cultural Relics of the Ming Dynasty and an Exhibition of Exquisite Potted Plum-Trees, etc. With the hobby and needs of different tourists taken into account, “Car fans” can enjoy various kinds of noted cars. The activity known as “Flowers as matchmakers” involving 10000 people provides unmarried men and women with romantic space for seeking love. When getting tired, tourists can also walk around “A street with delicious food” which offers special snacks of different places. Plum-Blossom Festival this year has specially started an online activity of selection through evaluation named “I choose plum-blossom as the national flower”. The scenic area of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum cooperates with Sina Tourist Website and other famous websites. Tourists can send their messages while taking part in the discussion and voting with their feelings about plum-blossoms.
In a word, we aim at the activity as the driving force and the market as emphasis. A series of activities are expected to form highlights, attract people，create a joyful, harmonious and festive atmosphere as well as promote tourist economy, fully enhance the influence and reputation of Plum-Blossom Festival and foster the “urban card” of Nanjing. We believe it is a grand, joyful, leisurely and interactive tourist meeting. Set off by blossoms of 10000 plum trees ushering in spring, a light-hearted, peaceful and happy scene has surely come into being as local citizens and tourists are enjoying unforgettable holidays.
3. Policies on admission tickets during Plum-Blossom Festival:
During Plum-Blossom Festival of 2008, we endeavor to continue to closely integrate festive tourism with publicity to urban image and marketing of scenic spots. To be specific, we cooperate with such media as newspapers, TV stations and websites, trying to make a success of publicizing the overall image of Plum-Blossom Festival, opening special tourist routes for enjoying plum-blossoms, coordinating with many travel agencies in cities around Nanjing, designing and distributing pamphlets as guides to activities of Plum-Blossom Festival, opening special and direct tourist bus-routes entitled “Angel trips ”，reinforcing advertisement at railway stations in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian in order to bring in more tourists.
According to the approval of municipal price-setting department, from February 7, 2007 to March 22, the price of an admission ticket for enjoying plum-blossoms on Plum-Blossom Hill is 40 Yuan per person each time （tourist areas include Plum-blossom Hill, Plum-Blossom Valley, the Sacred Path Flanked by Stone Elephants, the Sacred Wongzhong Path and Red-Chamber of Art and Culture）. A ticket amounting to 30 Yuan per person each time for the tour in the north of the Square Gate of Officials and Warriors of the Ming Tomb is required (tourist areas include the Tomb-Palace of the Ming Tomb, the Prince Tomb of Dongling, Zixia Lake and the Sacrificial Altar of the Six Dynasties）. In total, the price for a ticket amounting to 70 Yuan per person each time remains unchanged in the scenic area of the Ming Tomb. During the Plum-Blossom Festival, access to this scenic area is free of charge for local citizens and tourists with annual cards of 2008 as well as for army-men, retired veteran cadres, the disabled and the old with valid certificates. Each tourist having bought a ticket can take with him/her a child of less than 1.3 meters high free of charge. In addition, special preferential measures have been taken this year for enjoying plum-blossoms. Any child of less than 1.5 meters high (including 1.5 meters) can buy a preferential ticket of ten Yuan if he/she has a preferential coupon for the tour.
With regard to recreational items for children on Plum-Blossom Hill, a child as the real holder of the preferential coupon for enjoying plum-blossoms can buy a preferential ticket at a discount of 20 % and that this coupon also enables the child to buy a preferential admission ticket for touring “Sea-bottom world”.
A Note for the distribution of preferential coupons as follows：
1. Children of Nanjing, Suzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, Nantong, Yancheng, Suqian and Yangzhou can get such coupons through taking part in the activity of selecting “Small angels of plum-blossoms” jointly sponsored by Child Channel of Jiangsu TV Station and Administration of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum.
2. Tourists in the Yangtze Delta can get such coupons from various large travel agencies in their respective locality, with such major cities as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ninbo, Jiaxing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Xuzhou and Nantong, etc.
3. After the opening ceremony of Plum-Blossom Festival, children and their parents can also get such coupons from young volunteers serving at the booking-offices or stations for offering various items of child recreation on Plum-Blossom Hill.
Distinguished friends from the news media, since having successfully established itself as one of the first “National AAAAA tourist areas”, the scenic area of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum has completely upgraded all its soft and hard wares. All tourist toilets have been renovated according to star-rated standards and above while all signs on placards have been written in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean at the same time. The tourist center respectively in three major scenic areas offers various services of consultancy. Tourist groups in these scenic areas can enjoy a small train tour for sightseeing free of charge and that written materials as guides to tourists are also free. The telephone (025-84431174) for complaint and first-aid in the scenic area is open round the clock，ready to provide service at all times.
So much for my introduction. Thank you! |
