Demand on tourism burst as the Minsu market’s recovery sped up during the May Day holiday. Oceans of tourists flooded into Zibo in China’s Shandong Province for its BBQ,     1     drove its Minsu market to boom. According to the online booking site Tujia, Minsu’s average room price remained lower than the national average level, but     2     (it) booking number increased three times in Shandong Province during the May Day vacation.

    3     (base) on Tujia statistics, other cities in Shandong Province also showed remarkable performances on Minsu bookings. Qingdao and Weihai were among China’s top ten tourism destinations.     4     former even surpassed (超过) Chengdu and Chongqing for the first time to take the number one spot.     5     (additional), the booking numbers in Yantai, Jinan, Rizhao and Tai’an of Shandong Province also     6     (see) a good performance.

The Minsu in rural areas still gain     7     (popular), with the booking number     8     (account) for nearly 40% of the total, according to Tujia.

Among customers booking the Minsu in rural areas, the “post-80” and “post-90” generations are still the mainstream. The     9     (hot) types of accommodations are lofts, inns, and single-family villas. Besides, fruit and vegetable picking, DIY activities, and food-tasting events are the top choices     10     holiday activities.

4 . The Best Destinations to Visit in 2023

Poland

We could list new openings in Poland, such as Hotel Verte in Warsaw, which will throw open its golden doors in August. But this is not the only reason you should visit Poland in 2023. Sharing a 300-plus-mile border with its neighboring countries, where there are forests, lakes and mountains, means now it’s your chance to take a vacation there.

Western Australia

On April 20, 2023, a total solar eclipse (日食) will be visible over the northwestern edge of Australia. For an event that will likely last about one minute, the town of Exmouth has been planning for over a year. There will be outdoor viewing platforms where observers can safely watch the solar miracle.

Liverpool, England

Best known around the world as the birthplace of The Beatles, Liverpool is adding another chapter to its musical legacy. In May, it will be the host city of Eurovision Song Contest 2023, which is expected to bring thousands of flag-waving fans from across the continent. In June, the city will celebrate the Liverpool Biennial contemporary visual arts festival, as more than 30 international artists and collectives takeover spaces in the city until September.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston shows its past like no other US city, but it often glosses over (掩饰) the history of its Black residents. It has been taking steps to fix that. Enter the International African American Museum, which promises to make an opening announcement soon for 2023 after pushing back its January date. The museum is on the shoreline of the Cooper River in the spot where many Africans first set foot in North America.

5 .     1     With our upright posture (姿势), flexible joints, and strong leg muscles, our bodies were literally designed with walking in mind, which is what makes it such perfect exercise. Why not focus on walking with a purpose?

To get started, sit down with a map and make a plan. Ask yourself what you want to get out of walking aside from health benefits.     2     See new places? Explore a city? Knowing your priorities helps decide on the type of walk you want.

If making friends and socializing is your goal, call up your friends and schedule walks with them. Go online and look up your local mall (购物中心), which has groups that come daily to “walk the mall” and are always happy to include one more walker. Similarly, at your local park, you might find open groups of dog walkers who conduct diverse group hikes.     3     In most cities, such walks are going on almost every weekend in support of cancer research and other humanitarian causes.

If lone walks are what you’re after, ask the local tourist authority about local hikes that get you out of town and into the wilderness or countryside. Thanks to the Rails to Trails program, railways across America are being transformed into scenic walking paths.     4    

Headed to a new city? Then tie on your walking shoes and prepare to get to know it from the ground up! Many historic cities offer detailed and well-planned walking tours.     5     And small towns generally have a scenic route that will carry you past its best shops and cafes.

6 . Where to Eat in Bangkok

Bangkok is a highly desirable destination for food lovers. It has a seemingly bottomless well of dining options. Here are some suggestions on where to start your Bangkok eating adventure.

Offering Thai fine dining. Nahm provides the best of Bangkok culinary (烹饪的) experiences. It’s the only Thai restaurant that ranks among the top 10 of the world’s 50 best restaurants list. Head Chef David Thompson, who received a Michelin star for his London-based Thai restaurant of the same name, opened this branch in the Metropolitan Hotel in 2010.

Issaya Siamese Club is internationally known Thai chef Ian Kittichai’s first flagship Bangkok restaurant. The menu in this beautiful colonial house includes traditional Thai cuisine combined with modern cooking methods.

Bo.lan has been making waves in Bangkok’s culinary scene since it opened in 2009. Serving hard-to-find Thai dishes in an elegant atmosphere, the restaurant is true to Thai cuisine’s roots, yet still manages to add a special twist. This place is good for a candle-lit dinner or a work meeting with colleagues who appreciate fine food. For those extremely hungry, there’s a large set menu.

Earning first place on the latest “Asia’s 50 best restaurants” list, progressive Indian restaurant Gaggan is one of the most exciting venues (场所) to arrive in Bangkok in recent years. The best table in this two-story colonial Thai home offers a window right into the kitchen, where you can see chef Gaggan and his staff in action. Culinary theater at its best.

Located in Changping District, Beijing, Juyongguan is of great military importance since ancient times. The two strategic     1     (pass) in the south and north are respectively named “South Pass” and “Juyongguan”. Grand mountains surround Juyongguan; an 18km long valley, commonly known as “Guangou”,     2     (stretch) right across the middle. In Juyongguan, clear streams belt, green mountains overlap, flowers and trees bloom, and birds sing. Owing to the beautiful scenery, Juyongguan has been honored     3     “Juyong Diecui” and one of the “Eight Great Sights of Beijing”.

In the center of stylobate (柱座), there arranges the doorway through     4     people, carriages and horses can all pass. Cloud Terrace at Juyongguan is a large-scale fine work of stone carving,     5     (construct) in Yuan Dynasty.     6     (initial), there were 3 white pagodas (宝塔). Unfortunately, they     7     (destroy) at the turning of Yuan and Ming Dynasty. Subsequently, “Tai’an Temple” was constructed on the stylobate. However, in the 41^st year of Kangxi Reign in Qing Dynasty (1702), the temple suffered from fire,     8     (leave) Cloud Terrace alone.

An overall repair was conducted to architectures in Juyongguan in 1992, restoring     9     (it) former grandness. The     10     (nature) landscape of Juyongguan surroundings is very attractive. Ever since Mingchang Year of Jin Dynasty, “Juyong Diecui” has been listed into “Eight Great Sights of Beijing”.

8 . Down House, home of Charles Darwin:

Fun fact

Charles Darwin, his wife, Emma, and their children lived at Down House for 40 years from 1838. Several rooms appear as if the family still live here: with croquet sets thrown into an under-stairs cupboard, a half-played game of backgammon on a side table and Emma’s knitting(毛线) left on a chair in the drawing room. Upstairs, an exhibition showcases Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS Beagle, including a reconstruction of his cabin. Outside, visitors can explore the sheltered gardens which Darwin used as an open-air laboratory, and the greenhouse in which he planted rare plants and devised botanical experiments.

No room at Down House escaped Darwin’s experiments. In the drawing room he once placed a jar of earthworms on the grand piano to see whether they could hear.

Getting there

A 15-minute drive from the A21/Farnborough. Free parking. The R8 bus from Orpington stops nearby (except Sundays) or the 146 bus from Bromley North and South terminates (终点站) in Downe village, half a mile from the property. The nearest railway stations are Chelsfield or Orpington, about four miles away.

Value for money?

It’s ￡12 (adult), ￡7.20 (child), or ￡31.30 (family with 2 adults). Under 5s go free.

Opening hours

Open daily 10am-6pm from 30 March to 30 September; daily 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. between 1 to 31 October. Opening times vary through the winter (check website for details).

Verdict(评价)

8/10. An unstuffy educational, gentle day-trip attraction with friendly, knowledgeable staff.