A Chinese partner mountain for the Jungfraujoch
Chinese delegation visits Jungfraujoch
Both the Jungfrau and Mt. Huangshan are listed as UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites. The official ceremony celebrating the partnership took place in May 2002 in the Sphinx Hall, the highest point on the Jungfraujoch. A delegation consisting of 23 members of the provincial government of Anhui, PR China visited the Jungfraujoch for the signing of the official documents. The delegation was led by Anhui Provincial Governor Mr. Xu Zhonglin. The document was signed by Mr Xu Liquan and Mr Hu Xuefang on behalf of the Chinese partners and on the Swiss side by Mrs Elisabeth Zoelch Director of the Economic Department of Canton Bern and Member of the Cantonal Government, and Dr Krneta, Chairman of the Jungfraubahn Holding AG Executive Board. In their speeches, both the governor and Mrs Zoelch stressed the importance of the partnership in terms of touristic development.
Not only on paper
The signing of the partnership agreement was only the first step towards a deeper cultural exchange between the two regions. Over the coming months, a gallery of photographs taken in the region of Mt. Huangshan will be on display in the exhibition rooms on the Jungfraujoch. Further projects will see a student exchange between Interlaken and Huangshan City and the broadcasting of television advertisements on local TV stations. Visitors to the Jungfraujoch can also use a special terminal to produce their own video-postcards which they can send to friends through the official website at www.sistermountains.com.
A Swiss delegation headed by Mr. Adolf Ogi visited Anhui province in the second half of July and repeated the celebration on Mt. Huangshan.
The search for a partner
The Jungfraubahn Holding AG has been closely monitoring the development of the Chinese tourism market for over ten years. In 1997, activities began in the field of touristic development. The idea of seeking a suitable partner in China dates back to 1999. Urs Kessler, Head of the Marketing Department of Jungfraubahn Holding AG explains: "When we realized that the possibility of being accepted to the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites was becoming more realistic, we began to search for a similar partner. It was important to us that the partner mountain should also be widely known as a touristic attraction. Mt. Huangshan, which in 1990 gained UNESCO recognition as a "Natural Monument" and is now also listed as a World Natural Heritage, was our ideal partner.
 Memorandum download
|