When a path he walks down is publicized, it practically becomes a pilgrimage for many travelers.
As China’s president during a time of unprecedented growth and change, Xi Jinping has guided a number of transformational initiatives.
But few industries have felt his influence so profoundly as China’s exploding domestic tourism sector.
From food he snacks on to mundane tourist observations he makes, here are eight ways in which Xi Jinping has had an impact on tourism within mainland China and, in some cases, beyond.
1. “Mich-Jinping” food guide
Xi Jinping’s taste buds have become so influential that Hong Kong’s Apple Daily has compared the president to a walking Michelin guide for China.
Want to try the pig-blood noodles Xi sampled 20 years ago? A noodle shop in Fuzhou, Fujian, where Xi ate noodles two decades ago has leveraged the president’s popularity into long lines.
Xi confirmed his love of the dish in 2014, and perhaps made the shop’s owners’ dreams come true, when he re-visited the place and had another bowl.
The owner told a reporter that ever since the news broke out, there’s been a significant increase in customers.
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Beijing authorities responded swiftly by announcing plans to place restrictions on new building designs and materials.
Does Xi’s conservative architectural taste mean the end of wacky and unusual structures in China, like these?
We hope not.
8. First Lady influence
Any mall or shop visited by China’s First Lady, Peng Liyuan, seems to benefit from the so-called “Peng Liyuan phenomenon.”
Hoping to take advantage of a visit from the president’s wife, Seoul shopping center Lotte FINTIN put up a poster of Peng following her July 2014 visit with a caption that read, “Lady Peng Liyuan rode on this elevator when she visited Lotte FINTIN.”
Another reads, “Thanks to China’s national mother Peng Liyuan for visiting Lotte FINTIN.”
Products she purchased in the mall are marked with special signs.
Some products have seen a three-fold increase in sales, according to Chinese news site Huan Qiu World.
