Bangladesh Community in China- is an online community website including our community news, articles, photos, China travel guide, live Bangla TV, Bangladeshi newspapers, Chinese newspapers, Chinese culture and more.

           - Lt Col (Retd) Md shahadat hossain, psc

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) being my first working place remained specially attractive to me since 1982 due to its natural beauties and cultural heritage. Since then, whenever I went to any tourist spots around the world I use to specially observe those spots and always use to think how to improve the tourism facilities of CHT. During my visit to Shanghai in Oct 2009 I came to know from local Chinese friends about the simple natural tourist facilities of Wen Zhou, about 400 Km away from Shanghai, geographical features of which have similarities with our CHT. So, to experience by myself, I thought of going there by road. After about four plus hours nonstop car driving we reached the city of Wen Zhou. This paper, or in my term the pictorial case study of Shimentai, would express what all of that tourist spot attracted me and how such tourist facilities may be implemented in our CHT. The case study of Shimentai is mainly based on photos which I took during the visit and as such readers are requested to relate all photos while reading.

Wenzhou, the third city of Zhejiang Province and one of the economic power houses of the region, lies in the middle of China's coastline. It is known to be one of the best and key tourist cities in China. It has multitudinous islands, crisscrossing lakes, stretching mountains and fascinating sceneries. The city boasts 3 state-designated scenic spots of the Yandang Mountain, Nanxi River and the Baizhangji waterfall, 2 state- designated natural protection zones of the Wuyanling Ridge and the Nanji Islands which are known as " the kingdom of shell and algae" and 9 provincial-designated tourist scenic spots including the Dongtou Islands, the Yaoxi Stream, the Zeya Mountain and the Xianyan Cliff. Wenzhou enjoys the reputation of a "City Famous for Dresses", a "City Famous for Delicacies" and a "City Famous for Enjoyment". Now it has 60 hotels of over three-star level with golf courses, bowling alleys, theatrical and recreational halls, amusement parks and Wenzhou Garden. With complete tourist facilities and colorful night life, Wenzhou is the paradise of eating, shopping, tourism and recreation in China. With the history of 1680 years, Wenzhou is one of the excellent tourism cities in China. Because of its mild climate, it can be called the “warm city”, which is just like its name in Chinese. The landscape here is very beautiful and unique. Yandang Mountain is the must-see place for travelers to Wenzhou (information collected from authentic online sources).

After knowing all famous as well as local tourist spots from my accompanied local Wenzhou friend, I decided to go to a place, named Shimentai,  relatively low in profile, because I heard there are tourist spots beside a river similar to our Kaptai river and also eco friendly tourist places at mountain area like our CHT. Visiting few places before the lunch, we decided to go to Shimentai tourist spot, the place which really attracted me for its simplicity and quietness having physical exercises too. It is simply walking and climbing through specially made foot route and reaching up to a hill top and returning in the same way. The tourists would have painless physical exercises while going and coming with additional pleasure of walking through the hills, water streams, stones, jungles etc, quiet attractive specially for those who like such adventurous travel. Few scenic spots are prepared for normal watch along with attractive sitting arrangements for taking rest in between. Tourists normally visit with friends or relatives and take photos in between and also enjoy drinking water or soft drinks with much pleasure once tired. I too was doing almost the same but my mind was all through inside our CHT until I was there. I was thinking how simple and beautiful this tourist spot is! Why can’t we also make such in our CHT instead of making big budgetary plans? Readers are requested once again to relate with given photos while reading my expressions.

Shimentai, being relatively a remote place, electricity of the tourist spot was supplied by solar power.

The construction of the foot routes, local scenic spots, local water dam, foot bridges, etc all were constructed using the local resources of that particular hill area without disturbing the nature much which indeed made the construction cost-effective, cheaper and easier.

There were only few employees for the whole spot for its cleanliness and maintenance. Amusement facilities were also catered in such a way for which no electricity would be required. Again the visitors would have some physical exercises through amusements.

After visiting the tourist spot of Srimentai, and also relating my experiences of working in CHT for more than six years covering almost all areas of three hill districts, including difficult remote areas, I thought of writing this case study for the concern authorities related to tourism of CHT and also the readers. In my opinion we may make such tourist spots almost every places of our CHT.

In view of this case study, following direct suggestions are recommended:

1. There may be one such tourist spot in each Upo Zilla of CHT and the spots may be developed using the local resources only without disturbing the nature much. The location may be near to the road in a relatively secured area so that tourists may visit by transports easily.

2. Such spots may be constructed by the government of Bangladesh from annual budget allotted for the development of tourism of Bangladesh. The constructions may be supervised and completed by the local Zone HQs (Security Forces) deployed in the CHT as part of civic-military pacification and social as well as economic works.

3. Initial security and management of such tourist spots may also be supervised by local Zone HQs, however, may subsequently be handed over to the local civil authorities or to any other organizations related to tourism with proper yearly lease agreement.

4. Visitors may be charged with minimal entrée fees to promote local tourism which would also help government to recover the spent money over the period and also earn revenues in subsequent years thereafter.

5. Details related to development of such tourist spots may be worked out by appropriate authorities if above suggestions are accepted in principle.

The importance of developing local tourism facilities need not to be over emphasized. Local tourism always attracts foreign tourists in the process. Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh is full of natural tourist attractions and as such may be developed further for promoting tourism in CHT in particular and Bangladesh in general and the soonest is the best. If tourism facilities of CHT can be developed in a planned way, it would not only promote the tourism of Bangladesh but would also contribute in the overall development of the country. Hope this pictorial case study of Shimentai would attract the readers as well as the authorities concern related to tourism and there after help to take the appropriate measures for the promotion of tourism of Bangladesh.

(The writer, Lt Col (Retd) Md shahadat Hossain, psc, is a freelance writer related to the promotion of Bangladesh who was also the coordinator and consultant for Asian Tourism Fair (ATF Dhaka) 2011 held between 29 Sep to 01 Oct 2011 and can be reached over email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Tweet

Share