Chinese students given guide around Edinburgh

A new Mandarin-language student guide to Edinburgh has been rolled out by Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, also known as ETAG, in a bid to inspire and support record numbers of Chinese students choosing Scotland for their studies.

The new guidebook is being circulated digitally among the Chinese community in the Scottish capital, providing tips, recommendations and suggested itineraries to Chinese students, many of whom are spending extended periods away from home due to the ongoing impact of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Rob Lang, chair of ETAG's China Ready initiative, said: "ETAG is delighted to introduce Edinburgh's first-ever Chinese student guidebook, where students will find content created by our four Chinese student ambassadors as well as all the latest information on key tourist attractions and go-to restaurants and experiences."

In line with government guidelines, Lang said the initial aim is "to focus on local Chinese students, making sure they feel absolutely welcome, safe and confident that Edinburgh is a responsible, inspiring home from home."

As and when travel restrictions ease, and with record numbers of Chinese students elsewhere in the United Kingdom, he believes that "this new guide will ensure Edinburgh is exceptionally well positioned in 2021 to benefit from domestic Chinese student tourism, as part of the city's sustainable pandemic recovery efforts."

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 35 percent of higher education students from non-European Union countries in the United Kingdom in 2018-2019 came from China, a total of 120,385, more than 11,500 of whom were based at Scottish universities.

Edinburgh has a long history of welcoming students from all over the world. Huang Kuan, commonly known as Wong Fun, was educated as a medical student at the University of Edinburgh between 1850 and 1855. Upon completing his studies, Huang became the first Chinese student to graduate from any institution across the whole of Europe, as well as the first Western-trained doctor in China.

As part of Edinburgh's Chinese social media campaign, ETAG has delivered regular engagement activities with Chinese students not just in Edinburgh but across the UK. Annual Edinburgh briefing and welcome events take place during freshers' week, and a dedicated Chinese student WeChat group provides regular tips and inspiration.

Four talented UK-based Chinese student bloggers were selected to visit Edinburgh to celebrate Chinese New Year and Burns Night earlier this year as part of a nationwide competition. During the visit, they were named official Chinese student tourism ambassadors of Edinburgh, and their insights and experiences have contributed to this brand new guide.