Land of pink flamingos

Pink flamingos, a natural wonder of Yucatan. (Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of Mexico in Shanghai)

More and more Chinese people are adding Mexico to their travel wish lists these days. About 60,000 Chinese visited the Northern American destination last year, contributing to a 30 percent year-on-year growth rate.

However, few Chinese travelers have ever visited Yucatan, the state in northwestern part of the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico. This is where President Xi Jinping toured during a State visit to Mexico last June, when a campaign to promote travel to the region began.

Alejandro S.Ramirez Torres, Mexico's Tourism Board Director with the Embassy of Mexico in China, told the Global Times that Yucatan is definitely not targeting business travelers, but tourists. "We hope that Chinese tourists will replace Japanese and Korean tourists to become the largest tourist group from Asia," Torres said.

David Hidalgo Ayala, the director of the Office of Conferences and Conventions with the Tourist Promotion Ministry of Yucatan, said the state is the home of the ancient Mayan civilization, making it one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico.

Merida, the capital and largest city in Yucatan, was built on the site of the ancient Mayan city T'ho. To its southeast is the Chichen Itza, the political, economic and religious center of the Maya empire from AD750-1200. With its impressive stepped pyramids, temples and columned arcades, the Chichen Itza is one of Mexico's most popular archaeological ruins and draws more than a million visitors annually, including Xi.

Ayala also highly recommends the nature wonders of Yucatan. A unique highlight is the cenotes, or sinkholes, which are the natural wells that form a vast network of underwater waterways or caves. Ik kil in the Ik Kil Archeological Park near Chichen Itza is a celebrated cenote, which boasts crystal clear water and beautiful waterfalls that visitors are welcome to swim in.

Yucatan also boasts the world's largest and densest population of pink flamingos. One of the best observation sites is in Celestun, a beachside fishing village 60 miles from Merida, where visitors can rent a boat to see the elegant, salmon-pink birds all year-around.

Torres told the Global Times that Yucatan's travel agencies are well trained to receive and take care of Chinese tourists.

"They have intensive experiences with individual tourists and international tourists, and they are aware of what might happen and know what to do," he said.

There are no direct flights from Shanghai to Yucatan yet, Torres said. The easiest way to get there is to fly from Shanghai to Mexico City.

Major hubs in the US, such as Houston, Miami, and San Francisco, also have flights to Yucatan, Ayala said.