BEIJING, August 17. /Dunyo IA/. An article highlighting Uzbekistan’s rich tourism potential has been published in the pages of Arena, a leading tourism magazine, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Publication notes that Uzbekistan is emerging as a unique destination for Chinese travellers, where the historical legacy of the Great Silk Road is seamlessly combined with modern tourism opportunities. Today, these long-standing historical ties are gaining renewed momentum through expanding economic and humanitarian cooperation, the liberalization of the visa regime and intensified cultural exchanges.

China and Uzbekistan have taken bilateral tourism ties to a new level by introducing a visa-free regime for short-term visits by citizens of the two countries.

As a result, the number of tourists arriving from China has increased 3.5-fold. According to the publication, this trend demonstrates the growing appeal of Uzbekistan’s tourism market across the Asian region.

According to the magazine, Samarkand is rightly regarded as one of the world’s major cultural symbols. Registan Square, with its majestic madrasahs and intricate mosaics, reflects the era of the Temurid Renaissance and the city’s global significance as a centre of civilisation.

Bukhara retains its status as a “living open-air museum”. Hundreds of architectural monuments - including madrasahs, mosques, minarets and trading domes - are concentrated here, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of medieval Central Asia.

Khiva, with its Itchan Kala fortress, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, represents a unique example of a fully preserved historic city, where its architecture and urban landscape create an immersive sense of “travelling back in time”.

Alongside its architectural monuments, Uzbekistan has preserved a rich intangible cultural heritage. Traditional crafts - silk weaving, ceramics, embroidery, miniature painting, wood carving and artistic metalwork - continue to flourish. Tourists can visit workshops and observe artisans at work.

Article also highlights Uzbekistan’s diverse tourism offerings, including pilgrimage, gastronomic, ecological, cultural and other forms of tourism.

It emphasises that tourism cooperation between China and Uzbekistan is entering a new stage. Built on a shared historical memory of the Great Silk Road, cooperation is actively expanding across tourism, culture, education and business.

“Easing visa procedures and expanding the network of direct air routes are contributing to the growth of tourist flows. At the same time, the infrastructure for serving Chinese tourists is being upgraded through the introduction of digital services, language adaptation and specialized tourism products”, “Arena” concludes.