With orange balloons and scarves, tulips, and maple-sugar waffles, the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) held a workshop on December 15 to persuade more local tourists to visit the northwestern European country this winter.

Yang Yu, chief representative of NBTC China, led the event at the Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel while wearing an orange necktie. He introduced a number of three-day, five-day and seven-day itineraries to the Netherlands, as well as themed travel plans for shopping, family trips and honeymoons.

One leading star is fine art, an integral part of the Netherlands' allure. In the capital Amsterdam, the country's largest and most visited national museum, Rijksmuseum, has 8,000 pieces of art dating back to the year 1200 on display in its 100 rooms.

The museum's claim to fame is its collection of Dutch masters, the great painters who worked during the Dutch Golden Age from around 1620 to 1680.  This collection features Rembrandt's The Night Watch, the iconic large portrait of the civic guard. Other must-sees include Vermeer's The Milk Maid, as well as works from Hals, Steen and de Hooch.

Not far from Rijksmuseum is the Van Gogh Museum, which showcases the world's largest collection of the Dutch genius' work - 200 paintings, 400 drawings and 700 letters. The main exhibition chronicles the various phases of Vincent van Gogh's artistic career, including masterpieces such as Sunflowers and Almond Blossoms. An audio guide will explain van Gogh's techniques, his use of color and his turbulent life.

For more van Gogh, visit the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Gelderland Province. The museum was founded by Helen Kröller-Müller, one of the first to recognize van Gogh's talent and collect his work. It has the second largest collection of van Gogh's paintings, including the famous The Potato Eaters and Café Terrace at Night.

Another mecca for fine art enthusiasts is the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, the Netherlands' third largest city. This royal picture house is home to more than two hundred top works from Dutch and Flemish masters.  

Masterpieces such as Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt are on permanent display.

Moreover, there are plenty of beautiful cities and villages to explore. Yang especially recommended a visit to Rotterdam, the country's second largest city. He suggested tourists take a sailing tour on a Spido when they visit the port, which is the largest in Europe.

In addition to the water views, the city presents a great many eccentric and bold modern buildings. Moreover, Yang added that the city has some of the best seafood in the country.

Another landmark in this region is Kinderdijk, which is 16 kilometers from Rotterdam. This destination is famous for a network of windmills dating back to the 1500s. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yang also recommended the village of Giethoorn, which is often called the Venice of the Netherlands. Even today, there are older areas of the village where all traffic still flows via a network of canals. To explore the place, visitors can take a trip on a sightseeing boat or rent a "whisper boat" powered by an electric engine. The village also offers top-notch Dutch-style afternoon tea.

Lastly, the Netherlands is a shopping paradise. For example, Designer Outlet Roermond in the southeastern city of Roermond, offers 30 percent to 70 percent discounts on merchandise and gives non-EU customers a tax refund on any item above 50 euros ($61.15). "Usually a European outlet accommodates 100 to 150 shops, but there are 300 at Designer Outlet Roermond," Yang said.

Hugo Brenninkmeijer, head of visa section at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai, also attended the event. He said many local people appear to be reluctant to apply for visas to the Netherlands, though they shouldn't be.

"We are here to issue, not reject visas," Brenninkmeijer said. "The visa approval rate is 98 percent for business travelers, individual travelers, and tourist groups all together."

He noted that those who honestly provide the required information don't need to be worried.

Brenninkmeijer has found that Chinese applicants always want to get the visas back within one or two days, and the consulate can meet that demand by issuing visas within 48 hours.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines provides 12-hour direct flights from Shanghai to Amsterdam.

Yang Yu from NBTC China (left) speaks with consulate official Hugo Brenninkmeijer. Photo: Courtesy of NBTC China

 

Windmills in Kinderdijk

 

Rembrandt's The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum

Photos: CFP