Latest news with #WangJiao
Borneo Post
24-05-2025
- Borneo Post
China's aerial tourism the modern ‘journey to the west'
A drone photo taken on Nov 2, 2024 shows a view of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China's Gansu Province. – Xinhua photo LANZHOU (May 25): Instead of climbing thousands of steps to see the centuries-old Buddhist sculptures carved into the towering cliff face, visitors to the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in northwest China have a new thrilling option: boarding an aircraft and enjoying a spectacular view from high in the sky. The local scenic spot has launched an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft programme since March, offering visitors an opportunity to soar at an altitude of 300 meters and enjoy a bird's-eye view of the 1,600-year-old grottoes. This aerial sightseeing service has infused heritage exploration with a futuristic vibe, giving visitors an unprecedented immersive experience. 'That should be the way we travel in the 21st century,' a web user commented on a WeChat post. This is just one of the latest examples of scenic spots in northwest China incorporating low-altitude technologies into tourism. As National Tourism Day is marked on May 19, low-altitude tourism is now under a spotlight as the country prioritises the orderly development of low-altitude sectors to stimulate consumption. Home to a wealth of stunning natural and cultural attractions spread across vast distances, the northwest region is full of unique opportunities. Unlike the southern and eastern parts of China, which are relatively flat and often obscured by fog and rain, this high-altitude inland region with abundant sunshine is filled with mountains and canyons, making it an ideal landscape for aerial sightseeing. For example, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region alone boasts a flight area of around 1.8 million square km, accounting for one-sixth of the country's total. There are more than 320 days of good flying weather each year. Deng Lili is one enthusiast. During the recent May Day holiday, she took a 25-minute helicopter ride from Shihezi City in northern Xinjiang, flying over some of the region's iconic landscapes, including the Tianshan Mountains and the Manas River Grand Canyon. 'It was gorgeous,' she recalled with exhilaration. 'Seeing the emerald rivers and winding red rocks from above was a truly fantastic experience.' An aerial photo taken on Aug 7, 2023 shows a view of Danxia landform at Danxia National Geological Park in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu Province. – Xinhua photo In Gansu Province, sightseeing tours with aircraft and gliders over the Yellow River and alongside reservoirs have taken off over the past two years. Known for its Danxia landforms, or reddish sandstone and rocks, the Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot in Gansu is seeing more travelers trading traditional viewing strolls for the more thrilling experiences of helicopters and hot air balloons. Visitors like Wang Jiao, from Henan Province in central China, described her recent aerial adventure as a sensory delight. 'Flying above the multicolored ridges of weathered strata feels as if I could reach out and touch the vibrant hues with my fingertips.' According to the local tourism bureau, aerial tourism has evolved from a niche to sought-after choice, becoming a new growth driver in the industry. Behind the success of aerial tourism is a strategic effort to drive China's emerging low-altitude economy, which refers to activities within airspace below 1,000 meters. Since being highlighted in the nation's 2024 government work report as a 'new engine for economic growth', many provincial regions in the country's west have begun formulating plans to accelerate the development of low-altitude economy. For instance, Xinjiang aims to build a total of 98 general aviation airports by 2035, equating to around 5.9 airports for every 100,000 square km once completed. Data from the lifestyle app Xiaohongshu shows that topics related to drones in Xinjiang have garnered over 820,000 views, with many users sharing detailed tips on how to take picturesque drone photos. Some popular scenic areas have begun offering shared drone services and training for certified pilots. A pilot does flight training over Narat scenic spot in Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on March 5, 2025. – Xinhua photo Wei Xiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who specialises in the tourism market, said China's low-altitude tourism features integration of advanced aerial technologies. Some cutting-edge flying vehicles, such as the 'Land Aircraft Carrier', a flying car developed by Chinese EV company Xpeng, have made local headlines by conducting high-temperature and high-altitude tests in Xinjiang and Qinghai. Meanwhile, aviation enterprises in Xinjiang are exploring the deployment of EHang's EH216-S autonomous eVTOL aircraft for scenic tourism applications. Wei attributed the advancements to China's strong manufacturing and innovation capabilities. 'China has an extremely comprehensive supply chain and system in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for the richness of low-altitude vehicles,' Wei said. Wei also calls for simplified airspace regulations, accelerated infrastructure development and enhanced talent cultivation to drive better development in this area. – Xinhua aerial tourism China Maiji Mountain Xinhua
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wang Jiao Handmade Noodle: Big hearty bowls of tom yum ban mian, red fermented rice chicken & dumplings
Wang Jiao Handmade Noodle in Coast Market Square is a simple stall. It does however have many loyal regulars, especially in the evening. The stall also has an impressive 4.8-star rating on Google Maps, which convinced me it might be worth a visit. Wang Jiao serves your usual dry and soup ban mee, as well as mee sua and u mee. One of them, a fairly uncommon fermented rice residue noodle dish, caught my eye. My mom and I aren't big mee sua fans, but we like red glutinous rice wine chicken – it's a family favourite. Other dishes include Clam(Dry/Soup) (S$5.30/S$6.30) and Fuzhou Fishball (S$4.30/S$5.30). They all cost S$6.30 and below without any extra ingredients, which is still considered reasonable, especially if the portions are generous. My first pick was the (S$4.50/S$5.50) in the smaller size. Truth be told, I had not expected so large a portion before I came despite having seen the reviews before I came. The smell of the steaming hot soup was precisely like it tasted: zingy. A clear tomato tom yum broth, it was sweet and not exactly spicy for one traditionally containing chilli. Its impression was more of a watered-down and more acidic Haidilao tomato soup base. Admittedly, it was also addictive and had me gulping down more despite my not-so-impressed opinion. While Wang Jiao's name contains the term 'handmade noodle', the ban mee appeared to be commercially made. They were soft and slippery but not very chewy, to my slight disappointment. Most of the dish's protein came from the minced pork bits, a pleasantly large amount of which had been scattered into the soup. Their meaty flavour and chewiness were delectable, especially since they tasted fresh and not gamey. While the egg was slightly overcooked, I acknowledged that this was normal for most soup ban mee dishes. It must've been cooked with the soup and not cracked in right before serving. The ikan bilis garnish wasn't crunchy, but that made sense since it had been sitting on the noodles and absorbing the steam. Slightly salty and briny, the tiny fish topping was just alright and I didn't mind it at all. Boiled chye sim pieces balanced out the savoury meatiness of the other ingredients, and I liked that there was lots of it as well. Bang Bang Mushroom Bak Chor Mee: 27-year-old stall dishing out bowls of minced meat, fishball & pig trotter noodles Our second dish from Wang Jiao Handmade Noodle was the Fermented Rice Residue (S$4.50/S$5.50). Like the first, it contained a reasonable amount of meat and greens. As expected, the mee sua also seemed factory-made, and the thin noodles were so soft that they almost melted in my mouth. Like the ban mee, there wasn't any chewiness to the strands. You can probably see why this isn't my usual go-to, but I'm sure it may be for soft noodle fans. My mom remarked that my grandfather could cook a better red rice wine chicken than this. With all due respect, I can see why – it was nice, but not phenomenal. The fermented glutinous rice taste had been infused into the soup, which while hearty seemed more salty than flavourful. The chicken leg meat was normal, and its taste wasn't affected by the glutinous rice wine residue, the only noticeable effect being its maroon colour. Mom was craving crispy dumplings, so I ordered a plate of 8 Fried Dumplings (S$5.30 for 8pcs/S$6.30 for 10pcs). The cooking process took a while, and the auntie was still shallow frying the goods when I returned to wait for collection. They came served with julienned ginger and a pour of tangy black vinegar. We both had very different opinions on the dumpling skin. While I enjoyed the crisp exterior and thick skin, my mom felt it was too doughy and unnecessarily tough. The filling's upside was the jiu cai (garlic chives) and carrots mixed with the minced pork. Garlic chives have a juicy, oniony flavour, and it was no surprise that this went well with the fatty pork. However, both of us agreed that it still lacked some flavour depth. Not even the chives provided enough savouriness, and my mom suggested that it could use some ginger and less sugar. Like most Asian moms, mine found the dishes too sweet for her liking. I see where she's coming from, but it was overall not too bad for me. I had ordered small portions of all the dishes, but they were more than enough! While Wang Jiao Handmade Noodle isn't a stall I'd intentionally return for, I can see why many do. The inexpensive and big bowls of noodles are great for the locals to fill their bellies with after a long day of work. It's also quite hearty, and no doubt comfort food for them. Expected Damage: S$4.30 – S$6.30 per pax We tried Singapore's best-rated curry chicken noodles The post Wang Jiao Handmade Noodle: Big hearty bowls of tom yum ban mian, red fermented rice chicken & dumplings appeared first on
