Rich in history, vibrantly alive

A delightful dichotomy — modern in many ways, yet respectful of its rich history and traditions, Spain is among the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.

From the delicate music of flamenco to swashbuckling matadors and football, festivals and Picasso, all these icons come together to form what Spain is like among the Chinese.

But the country offers much more: than 40 World Heritage sites, the second-most in the world. It has 13 World Heritage cities, more than any other country. Its large numbers of museums make it one of the most significant cultural and art centers in the world. waters, coves, cliffs, broad stretches of sand — all bathed in radiant sunshine, Spain has more than 7,800-km of coastline. The country has 455 beaches with the prestigious Blue Flag award by the Foundation of Environmental Education, or one of every six Blue Flag beaches in the world. It has 1,500 natural reserves covering 11.8 percent of its territory. relies heavily on olive oil, making it both tasty and healthy. Paella, Spain’s national dish, is known as one of the top-three European dishes. The country produces the largest amount of olive oil in the world.

for Chinese shoppers, Spain has lower consumer prices than the rest of Western Europe. Prices of top brands are lower too in Spain. Two of the world’s nine Rozas Village Outlets are located in Spain, in the suburbs of Madrid and Barcelona.

in football, tennis, F1 car racing and golf, Spain is attractive to fans across the world. La Liga sides Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as super sports stars like footballer Raul Gonzales and tennis player Rafael Nadal, have wide support in China. airports — Madrid Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca — rank among the top 15 busiest airports in whole Europe. The total length of expressways in Spain is 11,000 km. The country has a number of high-speed railways, including the lines from Madrid to Sevilla (travel time 2.5 hours), to Malaga ( 2.5 hours), to Barcelona ( 2 hours and 38 minutes), and to Valencia (2 hours). Source: Tourist Section, Spanish Embassy in Beijing