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Strasbourg's Christmas market goes to Beijing

October 12, 2015

Gingerbread, mulled wine and Christmas spirit can be enjoyed this year in the Chinese capital, thanks to an exported version of the famous Christmas market in Strasbourg.

https://p.dw.com/p/1Gmk4
Strasbourg's Christmas market, Copyright: EPA/CHRISTOPHE KARABA dpa - Bildfunk
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Karaba

There will be a dozen stalls in a large shopping center catering to visitors from December 5 until December 20. Wooden toys are also on sale.

The idea isn't new: The Christmas market from the Alsace has already made guest appearances in Tokyo and Moscow. The idea is to promote tourism to Strasbourg. Chinese tourists tend to flock to Paris and the Côte d’Azur.

The number of overnight stays in the Alsace region booked by Chinese visitors almost doubled in July and August of this year. The aim now is to attract even more guests from China.

The original Christmas market in Strasbourg will open on November 27 this year and boasts 300 stalls. It is the oldest market of its kind in France and first opened in 1570. The five-week event expects to welcome some two million visitors.

ey/pw (afp, noel.tourisme-alsace.com)