Worldway Comprehensive Report: Traveling abroad has become a lifestyle for many Chinese people today. Among the numerous tourist destinations, Spain is currently best known for its top-tier football. In reality, Spain is a European gem that is on the verge of being forgotten. Beyond football, it holds even more captivating charms.
A Great Nation of Tourism and Art
When mentioning Spain, people most readily recall Columbus discovering the New World in the 15th century. Today, as football has become the world's number one sport, Spain is most frequently discussed in terms of the "Real Madrid" and "Barcelona" football clubs; beyond that, people likely know very little about it.
In fact, Spain is a major global tourism destination. In 2013, the number of international visitors to Spain reached 60.6 million, ranking third in the world, while its tourism revenue ranked second globally. Spain has 4,000 kilometers of coastline and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine annually; Spaniards say, "Sunshine is the soul of Spain." Spain has 40 sites listed by the United Nations as World Heritage sites and 38 natural landscapes designated as ecological reserves. In total, Spain has 400 nature reserves that protect the ecosystem of the Iberian Peninsula.
Furthermore, Spain is a great nation of world art. In terms of architecture, located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has been influenced by Europe, leaving behind a large number of ancient Celtic cities, Romanesque churches, and Gothic cathedrals, as well as Italian-style palaces. At the same time, due to its location across the sea from North Africa, its architectural forms were also influenced by Islamic architecture, forming Spain's unique Mudéjar architectural style. In modern times, the world-class great architect Gaudí left behind numerous avant-garde modern architectural works.
In painting, Velázquez, El Greco, Goya, Picasso, Miró, and Dalí are all world-class masters. Picasso, in particular, ushered in a new era of world painting.
In 1990, when Italy hosted the 14th World Cup, the three world-renowned tenors of the time—Pavarotti from Italy, and Domingo and Carreras from Spain—appeared together at the opening ceremony, giving birth to the 20th-century term "The Three Tenors."
The City of Gaudí—Barcelona
A friend who had just arrived in Barcelona said: "Before coming to Barcelona, I only knew the great football star Messi of FC Barcelona. After arriving in Barcelona, I realized that Messi cannot be compared to Gaudí at all; Barcelona is Gaudí's world."
This is indeed true. When Air China launched its Beijing-Vienna-Barcelona route on May 5th this year, the promotional slogan used was "When Mozart Meets Gaudí." Vienna is the city of Mozart, and Barcelona is the city of Gaudí; they are the souls of these two world-famous cities.
In Europe, churches are everywhere—Notre-Dame de Paris, Cologne Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, etc., are all world-famous. However, in terms of architectural form, the Sagrada Família designed by Gaudí stands out from the crowd, completely subverting the traditional architectural forms of European churches, and is called Neo-Gothic architecture by architectural scholars. Casa Batlló, located on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, is one of Gaudí's masterpieces. The entire building does not contain a single straight line and is composed entirely of curves. Gaudí's architectural designs drew inspiration from nature—forests, oceans, and animals. Some rooms make visitors feel as if they have entered the body of a whale, which is quite novel. Walking through some corridors feels like traveling through a space created by rolling ocean waves; the design is full of whimsical ideas. Gaudí's designs were not only innovative but also considered energy conservation and environmental protection, making full use of natural light and rainwater to save energy.
Barcelona was the city with the most developed textile industry in Spain in the 19th century. The result of rapid industrialization brought wealth to the city, which in turn produced many wealthy individuals. Just as rich people build villas today, after the textile tycoon Batlló commissioned Gaudí to design and build his apartment, the adjacent buildings were also bought by wealthy merchants who commissioned other architects to redesign and build them. However, among the buildings lining Passeig de Gràcia, none can compare to Casa Batlló. Among the works designed by this world-class great architect, 17 have been listed as national-level cultural relics by Spain, and 7 have been listed as World Heritage sites by the United Nations—a feat that is likely unsurpassed.
