【推荐2】I have always loved food. At home, I do the things that every foodie does. I regularly attend food festivals, I cook five-course meals for my friends, and I watch Top Chef and dream of another life in which I might have become a chef.

However, it was not until five years ago, when my husband and I traveled to South Africa, that I combined my love for traveling with food. South African cuisine is a mixture of many different subcultures. If we have only been there to see the elephants,we would not have learned as much as we did about the vast and dynamic culture of the country if we had not taken into account its food. Sure, we could have opened a textbook and read of the history that brought all of these cultures together, but we would not have experienced it firsthand and taken home all of the priceless memories we did. Until then, I had no idea about the limitless benefits that one could gain from traveling for food.

You are wondering how food can be powerful. right? It is simple. Eating used all five sense. Not only do we taste our food, we also touch it, smell it, see it with our eyes, and listen to it sizzling (咝咝作响) in the pan. We are in a heightened state of being whenever we interact with food. Personally. the taste of Malbec transports me to a tasting room (品酒室) in Argentina. The smell of lime (酸橙) instantly brings to mind the Thai cooking class I took in Chiang Mai.

You see, food has the ability to shape your journeys and define your memories. Food is also an essential par of life and community, It is what makes us who we are as a people I read a lot of travel articles about how to save money on food while traveling and how to avoid street food so as not to get sick. I seriously question whether you can experience the authentic side of a culture without trying some of its local food. After all, what is Thailand without a plate of Pad Thai, Canada without poutine (肉汁乳酪薯条), and Mexico without tacos (玉米薄饼卷)? I am exaggerating a little.but you get the point.

The world is full of incredible foods beckoning to be eaten and they are all just a plane ride or road trip away. Even if you are not a foodie, well, you still have to eat. So why not eat a little, learn a little, and take home the leftovers?

【推荐3】For some experienced Chinese travelers who have visited many destinations at home and abroad, their focus has changed toward exploring the less traveled domestic road and sharing their stories online.

Tuotuo and Susu are known for their first-person video blogs about less visited destinations in China. The couple’s short videos attract over 1.66 million followers on Sina Weibo, many of whom are youngsters with an urge to travel.

The couple has traveled to quaint villages where tourists seldom visit. For example, they visited Laozhai village in Lingshan county, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region (自治区). The ancient Yao ethnic group village only has about 200 residents (居民) in 48 households.

During their travels, Tuotuo and Susu dine and rub shoulders with the locals and enjoy rural life. “These travels allow us to meet many interesting Chinese people and experience their unique lifestyles,” said 33-year-old Tuotuo.

However, the couple’s travels aren’t always without challenges. For example, when they visited a cattle-farming family in Yangdong village, Liping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous region in Guizhou, they had to drive on a winding road and a bumpy mud path, but the wonderful view of fields proved to be worthwhile.

“It’s like a Land of Peach Blossom in modern society. Their material life may not be as good as those in big cities, but they lead a life of ease and comfort,” Tuotuo said.

“Rather than common scenic areas, frequent visitors prefer in-depth travel and are interested in the local lifestyles and local people. For them, tourism has become a kind of lifestyle, and lifestyle has also become an essential part of tourism,” said Liu Simin, vice president of tourism at the Beijing-based Chinese Society for Future Studies.

【推荐3】Hubei Province has long been a favorite Chinese tourist destination because of its natural scenery, historic cities, and beautiful mountains. Here are some of the best places to visit in Hubei Province.

Yellow Crane Tower

Yellow Crane Tower is known as one of the Three Famous Towers South of Yangtze River, together with Yueyang Tower in Hunan and Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi. The history of Yellow Crane Tower dates back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) in Chinese history. The tower was used as a watchtower by the King of Wu's army in the beginning.

Enshi Grand Canyon

Enshi Grand Canyon can be China's answer to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the United States in beauty. The canyon runs 108 kilometers and occupies a land area of 3,000 square kilometers. The region where Enshi Grand Canyon is located used to be a vast sea with many limestone deposits 230 million years ago.

Shennongjia Scenic Area

It is famous for its varied plant species as well as mountains. Regarded as the “Lungs of Central China", the forest coverage reaches over 90 percent of the area. Due to the special climate, it is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. Sometimes clouds stretch around mountains, rewarding tourists with unforgettable views. Besides, the area is home to some rare animals such as golden monkeys, white bears and antelope.

The Three-Gorge Tribe scenic spot

Located in the area of the Xiling Gorge in the city of Yichang, it has the beauty of landscape paintings. The spot is a “Protected Center of the Popular Culture and Art of the Three Gorges”. Since ancient times, a lot of famous scholars have produced a great number of excellent poems praising the beauty of this place, some of which are carved on the stones along the Yangtze River.