I have always loved food. At home, I do the things that every foodie does. I regularly attend food festivals, I cook five-course meals for my friends, and I watch Top Chef and dream of another life in which I might have become a chef.

However, it was not until five years ago, when my husband and I traveled to South Africa, that I combined my love for traveling with food. South African cuisine is a mixture of many different subcultures. If we have only been there to see the elephants,we would not have learned as much as we did about the vast and dynamic culture of the country if we had not taken into account its food. Sure, we could have opened a textbook and read of the history that brought all of these cultures together, but we would not have experienced it firsthand and taken home all of the priceless memories we did. Until then, I had no idea about the limitless benefits that one could gain from traveling for food.

You are wondering how food can be powerful. right? It is simple. Eating used all five sense. Not only do we taste our food, we also touch it, smell it, see it with our eyes, and listen to it sizzling (咝咝作响) in the pan. We are in a heightened state of being whenever we interact with food. Personally. the taste of Malbec transports me to a tasting room (品酒室) in Argentina. The smell of lime (酸橙) instantly brings to mind the Thai cooking class I took in Chiang Mai.

You see, food has the ability to shape your journeys and define your memories. Food is also an essential par of life and community, It is what makes us who we are as a people I read a lot of travel articles about how to save money on food while traveling and how to avoid street food so as not to get sick. I seriously question whether you can experience the authentic side of a culture without trying some of its local food. After all, what is Thailand without a plate of Pad Thai, Canada without poutine (肉汁乳酪薯条), and Mexico without tacos (玉米薄饼卷)? I am exaggerating a little.but you get the point.

The world is full of incredible foods beckoning to be eaten and they are all just a plane ride or road trip away. Even if you are not a foodie, well, you still have to eat. So why not eat a little, learn a little, and take home the leftovers?

China’s tourism market showed a better-than-expected performance over the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which started on Feb. 10.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that traveler numbers as well as tourism-related income during the holiday reached record highs, thanks to people’s ever-stronger desire to travel, enough market supplies and good tourism policies.

The ministry said on Sunday that the domestic tourism market saw 474 million trips during the holiday, up 34.3 percent year-on-year. The number marked a 19 percent increase compared with the same holiday period in 2019. Domestic tourism-related income reached 632.69 billion yuan ($87.95 billion) during the holiday, a striking increase of 47.3 percent year-on-year and 7.7 percent growth from the same holiday period in 2019.

Xiao Peng, a researcher with travel portal (旅游网), Qunar, said that the longer holiday this year — it usually lasts seven days in other years — made tourism-focused trips a more popular choice among the Chinese.

Southern destinations with warmer climate or tropical views, such as Kunming, Yunnan province, and Sanya, Hainan province, remained top choices for tourists, according to travel agencies. Return-flight tickets in economy class departing Sanya were sold out early, leaving only tickets in business or first class.

Tuniu, another travel portal, said that destinations and museums with a rich cultural atmosphere or those highlighting cultural elements of the dragon were favored by travelers marking the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.

In addition, some northern destinations with snow and ice views also proved popular during the holiday. Among them, Harbin Ice-Snow World in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang received 329,000 visits from Feb 10 to Wednesday — the first five days of the holiday — with the traveler number marking a surge of 115 percent from the previous year, according to Harbin’s culture and tourism bureau.

Besides the prosperous domestic tourism, the home and abroad tourism market also delivered a surprisingly good performance during the holiday.

Who says you have to stay indoors when the temperatures drop? Here are favorite places to explore this winter.

Athens, Greece

In Athens, temperatures stay around the mid-20s every November, so have a trip to the Parthenon and Acropolis. A full afternoon is also necessary for exploring the Museum of Cycladic Art and its exhibitions—recently it has hosted Picasso's.

In the streets of the Pysrri district is a hidden hole in the wall, from which one can go down to the basement restaurant, Diporto.

Huaraz, Peru

To some, Peru gives people images of students in printed shorts on a tour of Machu Picchu. There's obviously so much more to do in the UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site. Any hike through the surrounding Huascaran National Park will make you feel like you've stepped into The Lord of the Rings.

April and November are considered "shoulder season", which means fewer clear days but you can enjoy the trails (路线) with fewer people.

Edinburgh, UK

Yes, it's probably going to be freezing cold. Hot coffee steam up in a pleasing, romantic fashion in cafes. People can take a few minutes' walk from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

For simple Scottish dishes there's neighborhood inn, the Little Chartroom. And the Sheep Heid Inn has been long enough to have served Mary, Queen of Scots. In the eight bedrooms at the 18th century Rock House, each is a mixture of ancient details and current fashion.

Valletta, Malta

Flights from the UK to Malta's capital are only around £30, making it one of the best destinations for a November trip. This tiny city has a temperature of 17 or so and has changed itself into a year-round city break with artistic cafes, hotels and newly opened galleries—Muza opened last year and houses the former National Gallery collection.