China fact of the day

"Now the Chinese are second after the Dutch in overnight stays," Mr. Noll continued, adding that about 100,000 Chinese citizens visited Trier [Germany] last year, and about 40,000 of them spent at least one night.

"And they come all year," he said, "even in the low season."

Try to guess why, but you will find the answer under the fold...

Trier is a worthy destination by any standard, having impressive and important Roman ruins as well as an 11th century cathedral built in the very place where Emperor Constantine's mother first built a church in the fourth century.

But the Chinese clearly come to see the place where Marx was born in 1818 [my emphasis], and the local authorities try to take full advantage of it, promoting their city in China itself and with the travel agencies that serve Chinese tourists.

They even offer cultural sensitivity training for merchants, restaurateurs and others in Trier, instructing them in the finer points of dealing with Chinese customers. The number 250, for example, which is a kind of slang for "stupid" in Chinese, is to be avoided, and so is wrapping paper in white, the color of funereal robes, or yellow, by custom reserved for the emperor. It is also important to hand over visiting cards rather formally, with two hands, not just one.

Here is the full story.