My hometown is Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province. The province     1     (previous) went through a period of speedy development given its large coal reserves, but was then trapped in an unhealthy mode of economic development     2     (dominate) by coal.

But those days     3     (be) long gone. In recent years, Taiyuan     4     (witness) many pleasant surprises. With its strong promotion of the green transformation and development of tourism, Taiyuan has become     5     hot tourist destination.

Beyond Taiyuan, the whole Shanxi Province has become popular. Tourism     6     (order) in Shanxi on the first day of the Spring Festival holiday increased by 16 times compared to the same period of last year. A friend of mine came up     7     the idea of driving around Datong City but found that all the hotels had been fully booked. The Yungang Grottoes in Datong City and the Ancient City of Pingyao were both crowded with tourists, with the locals     8     (describe) the scenes as feeling like "a billion people have come". The queuing (排队) time at some scenic spots could be around five hours or even     9     (long).

Taiyuan,     10     was once covered by coal ash (煤灰), has completely changed its image with nearly 20 forest parks, while enjoying a green environment.

The 2.4-km-long Peljesac Bridge (佩列沙茨大桥), connecting Croatia’s mainland with the Peljesac Peninsula on the country’s southern Adriatic coast,     1     (be) a Belt and Road Initiative project built by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) .

The bridge has     2     (significant) improved people’s lives, cut travel time to the Adriatic coast and increased     3     (economy) opportunities for the region. “This bridge is not a luxury; it is our     4     (necessary),” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic when the bridge was opened.

The construction team attached great importance     5     environmental protection. While     6     (build) the bridge, they took different measures to create     7     environmentally friendly site. A bubble curtain, a measure to reduce noise caused by underwater construction,     8     (apply) to decrease the disturbance to the wildlife in the sea and neighboring residents. In addition, oil containment zones were set up at the site     9       (prevent) possible oil leaks.

“I have worked on some other big projects in Europe, but none compare with the Peljesac Bridge project,” Selma Knudsen said,     10     worked as a commercial coordinator on the Peljesac Bridge project.

4 . North Rim to reopen on June 2 with limited services available

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open as scheduled, on June 2, with limited visitor services and water conservation measures due to a break in the North Rim water pipeline. A landslide from winter storms destroyed more than 300 feet of the North Rim water pipeline.

The Grand Canyon Lodge will operate day-use services with limited food and beverage service beginning on June 2. No overnight accommodations will be available until at least July 23, 2023.

The North Rim Campground, managed by the National Park Service, will operate as scheduled beginning on June 9 with potable drinking water and toilets available. The public laundry and shower facilities will not be open at least through July 23, 2023.

The North Rim Visitor Center and Grand Canyon Conservancy’s bookstore open as usual, 8 am to 6 pm daily, with a variety of ranger programs offered.

Visitors exploring the North Rim this summer should be self-sufficient and should bring adequate food and water for the day as services are limited and may be subject to change. Nearby, accommodating is available at the Kaibab Lodge and food services and fuel at the North Rim Country Store. Year-round accommodating, food services and fuel are located 45 miles north of the North Rim at Jacob Lake. As a result of substantial winter rockfall and landslides, trail (步道) repair work on the North Kaibab Trail continues. There is a trail closure in effect on the North Kaibab Trail and it will officially reopen on June 16, 2023.

8 . A Break in Llandudno, Wales

A Victorian favourite once billed as the “Queen of Welsh resorts”, Llandudno has kept much of the charm (魅力) that made it so popular. The walking path around Llandudno Bay, the smell of fish and chips moving in the air, and old-fashioned amusements all combine to deliver a typical British seaside break. And a stay in Llandudno can be combined with a trip to Conwy, which has an impressive castle and Britain’s smallest house.

Where to eat

Dylan’s, on Llandudno’s East Parade, is set in a Grade Ⅱ-listed building and offers sea views plus a menu starring local produce. Dishes might include Welsh lamb tacos and Conwy pork. Its attached shop has a range of award-winning Welsh sauces and preserves to take home.

Where to stay

Set in a Grade I-listed 17th-century country house, Bodysgallen Hall is one of only three National Trust-owned hotels. It has views of Conwy Castle. Guests can tour the grounds with the head gardener. From £260 per night.

What we like

A half-hour drive or train ride away, the picture-perfect market town of Llanrwst has an impressive three-arched (拱形的) bridge across the River Conwy. Take a walk and drop by a wine shop and restaurant Amser Da. Highlights include Welsh cheeses and Anglesey sea salt.

Don’t miss

A 20-minute drive from Llandudno, the National Bodnant Garden has Italian-style rose terraces (梯田). The step-free Rose Walk takes in key parts of the garden, such as Waterfall Bridge and Old Mill, set against the backdrop of the Eryri foothills.

9 . Some people travel because they want to go to warm places for winter vacations or because they want to visit art museums in Europe. But other people travel simply because they have a passion for it.

Luisa Yu, a 79-year-old woman, fell in love with travel as a young girl in the province of Leyte in the Philippines when she watched movies. “I saw the beautiful scenery, the rivers and the mountains, and that fascinated me,” Yu said. “That’s why I always thought someday I would go to these places and travel.”

At 23, as an exchange student studying medical technologies in the US, Yu decided that she wanted to visit all of the countries in the world, but visa restrictions (限制) didn’t allow her to travel outside of the country.

It took Yu 15years to get her admission allowing her to travel internationally and there were times when she worked three jobs to save money to travel. She eventually took a part-time job as a travel agent, which gave her many more opportunities to travel to new places around the globe.

For the past 50 years, Yu has been visiting countries across the world, even some that are very difficult to get into. She has tried dog meat when she visited the DPRK, explored the beaches of Somalia, and even skydived in Dubai when she was 73. “Everyone said, ‘Don’t go to Somalia, that’s dangerous,’” Yu said. “If I want to go somewhere, nobody can stop me. I want to do everything.”

Yu achieved her goal to visit all of the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, in November 2023. To date, there have only been around 400 people who have set out to achieve this amazing cause.

Yu’s advice to people who love to travel is to just do it. “Don’t wait for anybody. If I keep on waiting, it will never happen, because the opportunity sometimes comes only once,” she said.

10 . Located at the western end of the Himalayas and the northern tip of Pakistan, the region of Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the world’s most inaccessible natural places. It also has “an extraordinarily rich cultural landscape”, says Sam Dalrymple in Condé Nast Traveller, having often resisted conquest (征服) by neighbouring empires, while absorbing their influence over the thousands of years along with the other benefits of Silk Road trade. Known to ancient Chinese geographers as the Xizang of the Apricots, it is a splendid land of snow leopards and brown bears. It is dotted with old palaces and ancient temples. It has often been closed to outsiders in recent decades, but it is now open to visitors once more.

Many locals claim that their inclusive and open society of this region inspired the lost city of Shangri-La in James Hilton’s popular 1933 novel Lost Horizon. The district of Hunza, for instance, is the best in education in Pakistan, with a relatively high level of women’s empowerment. Indeed an all-female team of woodworkers and designers helped restore the Serena Altit Fort Residence, a 1, 000-year-old building that is one of three beautiful palace hotels that belong to the Serena group in Gilgit-Baltistan. It overlooks the old walled city of Karimabad, Hunza’s capital, in a beautiful valley where the fresh air is combined with the flavor of jasmine blossom (茉莉花) and most new houses are still built in the traditional, wooden-framed style.

Driving southwards past the city of Gilgit, you entered into the Indus Gorge and the green valleys give way to an “dry moonscape”. To the east lies Baltistan, a rough region where there are few smooth roads and an ancient language of Tibetan is spoken and yak (牦牛) meat is widely served. It is here that Serena’s other two palace hotels are to be found, in Khaplu and Shigar, not far from K2, the world’s second-highest peak.