The soft and glutinous noodles are paired with various ingredients such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, and then brushed with the indispensable "soul" red oil chili pepper. After evenly stirring, a steaming bowl of spicy hotpot is served, making Tianshui, Gansu Province a must-do for tourists from all over the world this spring. "Top-notch". Data show that from March 1 to 27, Tianshui City received a total of 3.7 million tourists and achieved a comprehensive tourism revenue of 2.14 billion yuan.

Photo taken on March 14, in Tianshui, Gansu, tourists taste Malatang. Recently, Gansu Tianshui Malatang has become popular on online platforms, attracting many tourists from all over the country to taste it. Photo by Jiumei Danzeng

　　The fragrance spreads everywhere and is famous for thousands of miles. In the past few days, this wave of "hotness" from a small town in northwest China has continued to heat up, and it has also attracted many Taiwanese brothers and sisters.

　　Some tasted it across the screen across the strait and lamented that they were "very hungry" late at night; some came across mountains and seas to enjoy the meal and said "it makes me cry"...

“Born with a Chinese stomach, I just love this taste.”

　　"Mala Tang is my favorite food now, especially the various types of noodles produced locally in Gansu, which are not available in Taiwan." Chen Fangyu, a Taiwanese girl born after 1995, took a high-speed train from Lanzhou to explore Tianshui Mala Tang. When interviewed, she said that she basically didn’t eat spicy food in Taiwan before. After coming to Gansu, she gradually fell in love with spicy food. She would also look for delicious Malatang in Lanzhou every day, even though popular shops sometimes still have queues at night.

　　Perhaps Baodao friends who haven’t queued up yet may be curious: Gansu Malatang looks red, will it make southern babies cry?

　　actually not. According to the real feedback from a Taiwanese guy who checked in at the scene: "This is probably the least spicy chili I have ever tasted. It is not burdensome at all. I feel like I can use it as a late-night snack every day!" Taiwan media Central News Agency also commented that diners were impressed by the aroma left on their lips and teeth. The non-spicy taste left a deep impression and became the unique flavor of Tianshui Malatang.

　　From learning "Subject Three" in Guangxi to "checking in" in the ice city of Harbin, from "planting grass" in Sichuan pickled fish to becoming popular in Gansu Malatang, mainland food, beauty and pop culture are particularly easy to become popular among Taiwanese compatriots, especially young people. lock up". As a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said in response to a question from a reporter from China News Service, it is precisely because "both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese, born with Chinese stomachs, and love this taste."

The whole Tianshui is working hard

　　It was originally a food exploration trip, but many Taiwanese young people who visited it got an unexpected surprise. They discovered that the entire Tianshui was working hard to catch the "wealth that poured out of the sky".

　　Taiwanese Internet celebrity blogger Liu Leyan specially drove to Tianshui. She sat down at a street stall and was about to start. She was given braised noodles from the guy at the next table and tasted another local flavor. She also observed that the entire city is much more prosperous than expected, with high-rise buildings everywhere; the local area has also opened a special Malatang bus line, and provides free pick-up and drop-off services for members of the public to facilitate tourists' travel.

　　"Because a bowl of Malatang traveled from Taiwan to Tianshui, doesn't it sound a bit exaggerated?" Blogger "Tony Steel Stomach of Taipei" came specifically to visit his grandfather's hometown. He shared on the video platform, "I was born in Taiwan, I grew up in Taiwan and have traveled all over the world, but I know that my roots are here, and no matter how far away I am, I have to go and visit.”

　　Seeing the volunteers on the road working hard to give tourists the best experience, the taxi driver enthusiastically greeted the camera, "Welcome Taiwanese friends to come to Tianshui." The handwritten guide given by a stranger said, "You can bring your parents next time." "... This Taiwanese guy said that Tianshui may not be as wealthy as coastal cities, but the simple, pure, sincere smiles between people are more precious than anything else. "There is not only Malatang here, but also many undiscovered treasures. You must go there in person to discover its beauty."

Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family and one people share the same customs

　　The aroma of spicy oil wafts to Taiwan, and a girl from Kaohsiung is salivating on the other side of the screen, shouting from a distance to netizens to educate netizens about Gansu’s customs and customs.

　　In fact, Gansu, which is home to numerous scenic spots, has always been at the top of Taiwan’s tourist list. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Zhangye Danxia Landform, Maijishan Grottoes, Jiayuguan Great Wall... The natural scenery with regional characteristics and the historical monuments that have stood in the desert for thousands of years often make travelers to Baodao linger.

Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Area is a concentrated representative of the most typical Danxia landforms developed in the arid areas of northwest China. It is the only composite area of ​​Danxia landforms, colorful hills and soil forest landforms in China. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Xuefeng

　　Zheng Acai, a famous Dunhuang scholar and honorary director of the Dunhuang Studies Research Center of Nanhua University in Taiwan, once said in an interview with a reporter from China News Service that he has designed his home in Taipei to look like the "Mogao Grottoes" moved from the desert.

　　This time, the "top-level" Tianshui has a deep Chinese cultural heritage. The most famous local attraction is Fuxi Temple. This temple was built in the 19th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1483). It is a palace-style temple complex built in the Ming Dynasty specifically to worship Fuxi, the ancestor of Chinese humanity. The Tomb Sweeping Day holiday is approaching, and the hospitable people of Tianshui also send a message to Taiwan compatriots: Come to Xihuang’s hometown to worship the ancestor of China.

　　Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family and one people share the same customs. Whether you are excited about eating the same Chinese delicacy or worshiping the same ancestor, behind the spontaneous feeling of closeness is the constant blood connection, and the reunion of longing that cannot be blocked.

　　Author: Zhu Hao

　　Source: China News Service WeChat official account