Tourist Train from Xi’an Arrives in Almaty, “Large-Scale Festival” Smaller Than Expected

On May 31, the first tourist train from Xi’an, China, arrived in Almaty. The event attracted attention both before the train’s departure and after its arrival. Nearly 250 Chinese tourists were welcomed, with various cultural activities scheduled during their stay in Almaty. 

On June 2, the guests from Xi’an hosted a presentation of their city. The Ministry of Tourism’s website listed the occasion as a “large-scale humanitarian festival on the square of the Palace of the Republic.”

Orda.kz journalists attended the event to observe its scale and atmosphere and reported that the term “large-scale” may not accurately describe it.

The first issue noted was the date of the event — June 2, a Monday. On a weekday, it did not draw large crowds to Abay Square. When the Orda.kz team arrived around 2:00 p.m., the square was relatively empty. They intentionally avoided attending during the official opening to assess the organic public interest in the festival.

The second observation concerned the event’s description as “large-scale.” In reality, the festival featured two rows of stalls, mostly showcasing products from Xi’an, alongside displays of traditional Kazakh clothing and musical instruments.

The Chinese goods were available for purchase, unlike the Kazakh exhibits.

There were attendees, mainly pensioners, who were seen taking photos with the visiting Chinese guests in traditional costumes.

One of the more popular areas among the elderly visitors was a section featuring traditional and other forms of Chinese medicine. Crowds gathered around a counter where a young man explained the intended health benefits of various products in basic Russian.

This helps with joints, this helps with the heart, this helps with the stomach. But it's hard to find them in Kazakhstan, there's only one store in Astana. Because they make many of these medicines themselves, in their hospital. This is Hospital No. 5 in Xi’an,
he told an Orda.kz journalist. 

He was one of the few willing to speak to journalists. Some visitors declined to be interviewed, even when initially agreeing to speak in English. One participant, a Chinese Kazakh, delivered a short prepared statement in Kazakh:

Several others responded with a polite “Chinese” when asked if they spoke Russian, English, or Kazakh, highlighting a language barrier at the event. Translators were limited, though one volunteer fluent in Russian and Chinese assisted by explaining some of the exhibits.

Artists from Xi’an presented traditional crafts, including fan painting and seal carving. Some wrote price tags in advance, but others did not, which led to communication difficulties.

In one instance, an elderly couple asked about the price of a hand-painted fan:

The artist replied in Chinese. Unable to understand, the couple was eventually handed a factory-made fan as a gift after the artist recalled the English word “free.”

The gesture was appreciated — the woman immediately began using the fan — but the price of the hand-painted versions remained unknown.

According to the Ministry of Tourism’s program, the Chinese guests are scheduled to visit museums and landmarks in Almaty on June 4. On June 5, sports events and meetings with women entrepreneurs are planned.

It is hoped that mutual understanding at those events will be smoother than it was at the cultural festival on Abay Square.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin