A series of activities were launched to promote China-Vietnam cross-border self-driving tours on Jan 8 in Dongxing, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The five-day event includes a forum on China-Vietnam cross-border self-driving travel, promotional tourism conferences, and explorations of potential self-driving routes.

The five-day event, which aims to promote China-Vietnam cross-border self-driving travel, kicks off in Dongxing on Jan 8. [Photo provided to en.gxgf.gov.cn]

Members of 100 Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Laotian, Malaysian and Mongolian self-driving clubs, 100 media representatives and over 500 business representatives were given an opportunity to witness the amazing scenery and culture of Dongxing, Mong Cai and Halong Bay.

Motorcycles line up, ready to explore the self-driving routes. [Photo provided to en.gxgf.gov.cn] 

Dongxing, a Guangxi county-level city bordering Vietnam's Mong Cai, has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate. The mild temperature, proximity to Vietnam, well-developed tours and favorable policies are fueling cross-border tourism in the area. In 2018, passenger traffic at Dongxing Checkpoint exceeded 12 million.

Similarly, Fangchenggang, a coastal Guangxi city bordering Vietnam, is also experiencing a boom in cross-border tourism. In March 2018, Fangchenggang was one of only two cities given permission by the State Council to build a national border tourism pilot zone amid efforts to pioneer national tourism reform and innovation. The city received 63,500 China-Vietnam cross-border tourists over the 2018 National Day holiday, a year-on-year increase of 42.17 percent.

The event, sponsored by the Fangchenggang Tourism Development Commission, the Dongxing government, the Mong Cai Municipal People's Committee and Target Tourist & Cultural Development (Beijing) Co Ltd, is expected to give a boost to the tourism sectors in both China and Vietnam.

Participants of the event pose for a group picture at the launch ceremony. [Photo provided to en.gxgf.gov.cn]