Entering Africa-Cape Town

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Cape Town is the second largest city and the legislative capital of South Africa. The city is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the south. With convenient maritime transport, it is an important financial, industrial and commercial centre of South Africa. At the same time, Cape Town has four distinct seasons and beautiful natural scenery, as well as many European-style buildings. Integrated with European and African humanities and natural landscapes, Cape Town is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the most popular sightseeing city in South Africa.

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The Cape of Good Hope, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet, is a well-known cape in the south-western part of Africa. In the history, the Cape of Good Hope had huge waves and fierce storms all year round, and was once called 'Stormy Cape'. With the development of trade and maritime industry, many European merchants started to find a sea route to Asia for business. They believed that they would reach the mysterious and affluent Asia if they bypassed the African continent. Therefore, the 'Stormy Cape' became a "must-have" on the way to Asia, and hence had indissoluble bonds with famous navigators such as Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco de Gama. The name 'Stormy Cape' was also changed to 'Cape of Good Hope', referring to the good luck that will come after navigators bypassing the cape. The Cape of Good Hope is not only a legendary landmark in the world navigation history, but also a well-known nature reserve. The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve covers an area of 7,750 hectares and its coastline stretches over 40 kilometers. The nature reserve has clean air and beautiful scenery. There are over 1200 plant species and 250 animal species within the area. Rich historical and natural resources have made the Cape of Good Hope a popular tourist destination in South Africa and even in Africa.

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Cape Town integrates both European and African culture, and the social structure here has diversified characteristics. Here, tourists can visit the Wine Museum with Dutch features and the building of Town Hall of Baroque architecture, as well as Victorian houses on both sides of Long Street. In St. Georges Street, visitors can stroll through the famous flea market and buy special artworks from the locals and other African countries. In addition, the annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival is held on January 2 every year. During the carnival, participants usually dress in special costumes in bright colours, hold colourful umbrellas, and play music in the procession, creating a cheerful and light-hearted atmosphere.