







































Education, Society and Human Studies 
ISSN 2690-3679 (Print) ISSN 2690-3687 (Online) 

Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs 

1 

Original Paper 

Research into English Translation of Chinese Tourism Materials 

from the Perspective of Cross-culture Communication 
Yi An-yin1* 

1 Institute of Pre-college Education School for Ethnic Minorities, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, 

Sichuan, China 
* Yi An-yin, Institute of Pre-college Education School for Ethnic Minorities, Sichuan Minzu College, 

Kangding, Sichuan, China 

 

Received: June 6, 2022         Accepted: June 19, 2021         Online Published: June 28, 2022 

doi:10.22158/eshs.v3n3p1                       URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/eshs.v3n3p1 

 

Abstract 
From the Perspective of Cross-culture Communication, the characteristics in the titles and materials of 

Chinese tourist sports are analyzed and paid attention to the intercultural communication strategy and 

consciousness while changing them into English is put forward, which can improve the quality of 

English translation from Chinese tourism materials and finally enhance the communication and 

development between international cultures. 

Keywords 

cross-culture communication, Chinese tourism materials, English translation 

 

1. Introduction 

With the deepening of globalization, cross-cultural communication is becoming a new subject, and 

people pay more and more attention to it. Different language structures and cultural backgrounds lead 

to communication barriers to some extent. Translation is to promote exchanges between China and 

foreign countries, so that foreign tourists can better understand domestic tourist attractions. Therefore, 

at present, many domestic tourist attractions have English names, and many domestic famous tourist 

attractions have English introductions. However, there is no standard in the English translation of 

Chinese tourist materials for domestic tourist attractions. As a result, the quality of translated materials 

is uneven. It is difficult for foreign tourists to understand the meaning of these materials. In addition, 

cultural differences may even lead to cultural misunderstanding, which is very detrimental to the 

communication with foreign tourists. 

 



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2. Characteristics of Names and Materials of Domestic Tourist Attractions 

Nowadays, the tourism industry at home and abroad is also developing rapidly. As an important means 

of cross-cultural communication, tourism can promote people from different regions and cultural 

backgrounds to communicate and understand. Translation is a very important means to promote 

domestic tourism resources to the international market, so special attention should be paid to the 

characteristics of the names of tourist attractions and their materials when translating, so as to ensure 

the quality of translated materials. 

2.1 Characteristics of Names of Tourist Attractions 

Many tourist attractions in China are named on the basis of China’s cultural background. Their names 

are named according to geographical location, historical figures, myths and legends, historical allusions, 

religion and other aspects closely related to history and culture, such as the broken bridge of Hangzhou 

West Lake, which witnessed the legendary romantic love story between Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian, and 

the bridge at the Northeast starting point of the Ming Great Wall in Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan, known 

as the first pass in the world, and Yangzhou Slender West Lake, known as “Penglai on the lake”. These 

names are very concise, full of aesthetic feeling and rich in connotation. Therefore, when translating 

the names of tourist attractions, the translator should fully analyze and study the naming characteristics 

of the names of tourist attractions, try his best not to lose their own cultural level, accurately translate, 

and transmit accurate information to tourists, so as to attract tourists’ sightseeing and tourism, and 

finally achieve the purpose of promoting cross-cultural communication. 

2.2 Characteristics of Tourist Attractions 

2.2.1 In terms of purpose 

Tourism information is an inductive text that gives tourists a better understanding of tourist attractions. 

As the core structure of information, tourists’ understanding of tourism information determines the 

quality of tourism information. Therefore, when translating Chinese tourism materials, it is necessary to 

consider the cultural background of foreign countries. Starting from their reading habits and 

appreciation methods, and on the basis of ensuring the connotation of the original materials to the 

greatest extent the Chinese materials are translated, and finally the English information is formed and 

conveyed to foreign tourists. Finally, the expected effect of the translation of Chinese tourism materials 

is achieved, so that tourists can have a sense of cultural identity and more easily understand the scenic 

spots, Stimulate tourists’ interest in tourism and attract them to visit again next time. 

2.2.2 In terms of content 

In content, tourism activities include a wide range of disciplines, from astronomy and geography to 

local customs, from natural science to social science, and even culture, entertainment, food, clothing, 

housing. For different types of tourist attractions, the focus of translating into English tourism materials 

is also different. For example, the translation of historical scenic spots focuses on the introduction of 

historical events. When translating cultural scenic spots, they focus on the introduction of customs and 



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culture. The translation of natural scenic spots focuses on the description of landscapes and landforms. 

Some tourist attractions integrate all the above features, so attention should be paid to integrating these 

features when translating, so as to systematically and completely translate Chinese tourist materials, 

and finally ensure their translation quality. For example, the Chinese brief introduction to the famous 

natural scenic spot Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is: “...It is located in the south of Wulingyuan 

scenic spot, with a total area of 481000 square meters... within the park, more than 8000 strange peaks 

and rocks have sprung up, overlapping in succession, in a variety of forms, and with great 

momentum...” 

2.2.3 In terms of language 

In terms of language, most of the tourist attractions in China have the following main characteristics. 

First, Chinese uses a lot of language modification techniques and modifiers, and the words are 

gorgeous. In terms of language, it pays more attention to abstract expression, which is easier to 

stimulate people’s imagination and create a beautiful image. Second, when writing prose, the Chinese 

people have a unique language phenomenon, that is, they like to use the four character lattice. The four 

character lattice pigeon language form can make the sentences full of momentum, easier to speak, more 

fluent in form, and loud and magnificent to read. For example, the description of Zhangjiajie National 

Forest Park, a famous tourist attraction, described under the title 2.2.2 above, uses the four character 

form to highlight the uniqueness of Zhangjiajie. Third, the Chinese materials are good at using various 

rhetorical devices such as metaphor, personification, parallelism, etc. to make the scenery more vivid 

and vivid in front of the readers, so as to achieve the goal of getting twice the result with half the effort, 

and make the tourists have a very strong interest. Fourth, poems are often used in Chinese materials 

because many famous poems have been left in many places of interest in China. For example, there are 

nearly 30 ancient poems describing the scenery of Lushan Mountain. For example, the great poet Li 

Bai wrote in “looking at Lushan waterfall” that “the incense stove in the sunshine produces purple 

smoke, and the waterfall hangs in front of the river. The river flows down 3000 feet, which is suspected 

to be the Milky way falling nine days”. Another example is the famous poem “the difficulty of the Shu 

Road is difficult to reach the sky” written in the difficulty of the Shu Road, which is a true portrayal of 

the famous scenic spot Jianmen pass. These poems were left by the ancient literati when they visited 

these scenic spots. They not only have beautiful words and accurately describe the beauty of the 

scenery, but also carry the flavor of history and inherit the culture of thousands of years. Therefore, 

many tourist attractions use these poems to render the beauty of the scenery, which is more attractive to 

tourists. 

 

 

 

 



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3. The Application of Cross-cultural Translation Strategies in the Translation of Tourist 

Attractions 

Tourism is an important way of communication between human society, and language is the carrier of 

this means of communication. The process of translation is not only the conversion of words between 

two languages, but also the exchange of two cultures and the transmission of information. A good 

translation material can introduce scenic spots to tourists and use Chinese culture to attract foreign 

tourists. Therefore, for tourist attractions to attract customers, translation material is a very important 

carrier. Therefore, when translating tourism materials, the following points should be paid attention to 

in the process of translating Chinese tourism materials into English in order to make the tourism 

materials accurate and thorough so that readers of different levels can understand them and ensure the 

quality of their translation. 

3.1 Pay Attention to the Purpose of Tourism Translation 

When translating Chinese tourism materials into English, it’s necessary to correctly understand the 

purpose of tourism translation and rely on its main purpose. Translation is a very important means in 

tourism. Although many tourism scenes provide foreign tourists with some English materials, and the 

dissemination of tourism information and tourism methods also show the characteristics of 

diversification, the quality of tourism materials in different tourism scenes is uneven, which leads to 

tourists’ inability to well understand the meaning of the translation, so as to achieve the desired purpose. 

For example, when introducing the famous tourist city “Guiyang”, someone once translated it as “the 

expensive sun”, which can only make jokes and make people misunderstand. 

3.2 Considering the Customs of Tourists, Retain the Original Flavor 

When translating Chinese tourist materials into English, the translator should fully consider the readers’ 

receptive ability, language habits and aesthetic views. He should not just convert words between 

languages, nor mechanically copy the original culture that the readers do not understand, so that the 

readers can get cultural resonance from the translated materials, so as to better promote tourist 

attractions. When translating Chinese tourism materials into English, the cultural information of the 

original Chinese materials should be retained to the greatest extent, and the cultural background should 

be fully considered in the process of English translation, so as to attract tourists and achieve the 

purpose of tourism culture exchange. For example, the most famous scenic spot in Hangzhou, Su Di 

Chunxiao, is the first of the ten scenic spots in the West Lake. As far as the name of the scenic spot is 

concerned, its correct English translation is “spring dawn on the Su Causeway”. However, foreign 

tourists do not know who “Su” is. Therefore, when describing the scenic spot in detail, it is necessary to 

add an introduction to Su Dongpo, Specifically, “Su Causeway became a tourist attraction as early as 

1090. that year, Su Dongpo, a fame pocket in Song Dynasty and the governor of Hangzhou, had the 

lake dredged. The sit and debris were piloted up and formed into a causeway”. After such translation, 

foreign tourists will naturally understand the origin of the causeway of this scenic spot, deepen their 



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understanding of Chinese traditional culture, and further promote the exchange of Chinese and Western 

cultures. 

3.3 Pay Attention to Translation Methods 

When translating, special attention should be paid to cross-cultural translation strategies, such as 

transliteration, transliteration annotation, addition, deletion, literal translation, free translation and 

domestication. These methods can not only retain Chinese cultural characteristics, help foreign tourists 

understand Chinese culture, conform to western aesthetic characteristics, but also eliminate tourists’ 

sense of strangeness. Only in this way can tourists enjoy the fun of cultural exchange, Carry forward 

China’s tourism culture. For example, the place name “Leshan” in the scenic spot of “Leshan Giant 

Buddha” should be translated into English and translated into “Leshan”. When translating the famous 

scenic spot “Bamboo Sea”, if it is translated into “Bamboo Sea”, foreign tourists will not be able to 

understand the relationship between “bamboo and sea”. Therefore, the scenic spot is translated into 

“bamboo forest” with the help of domestication, which is in line with the cultural habits of target 

language tourists. 

 

4. The Importance of Cross-cultural Awareness in the Translation of Tourist Attractions 

The successful implementation of cross-cultural translation strategies is an effective means to ensure 

the quality of English translation of Chinese tourism materials. Only by making translators form and 

cultivate the awareness of cross-cultural communication can the quality of English translation materials 

be improved. Language is an external embodiment of culture, and it is not the right way to deal with 

language that is not based on cultural background. Therefore, when translating Chinese tourism 

materials into English, it’s also necessary to balance the cultural effects. On this basis, we should 

translate the historical origins and cultural traditions. This is not only for the purpose of attracting 

tourists to tourist attractions, but also for the purpose of disseminating cultural information. 

Before translating Chinese tourism materials, translators should first improve their awareness of 

cross-cultural communication, master the strategies of cross-cultural communication, and understand 

that tourism is an important way of cross-cultural communication; At the same time, it’s very important 

to strengthen our own cultural cultivation and connotation, understand the language habits and ways of 

thinking of foreign tourists, and to be able to integrate different cultures, so that foreign tourists can 

understand Chinese culture, understand Chinese culture, and finally be attracted by it. Secondly, the 

translator should improve his cultural sensitivity and be able to understand foreign cultural history and 

current facts, so as to ensure the translator’s creative inspiration and the accuracy of translation. Finally, 

the translator must have the ability to distinguish the differences between the two cultures, and be able 

to find out the respective characteristics of the two cultures, so as to analyze and find the differences 

and intersections between the two cultures. When translating Chinese materials, we should fully 

consider cultural factors and use cross-cultural translation strategies from the perspective of 



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cross-cultural communication, so as to better ensure the quality of translated materials. For example, 

when we introduce famous red tourist attractions in China, such as Jinggangshan revolutionary base, 

Luding Bridge and Deng Xiaoping’s former residence, special attention should be paid to the 

understanding of the word “red” in both Chinese and English. Because the word “red” is a 

commendatory word in Chinese, which has revolutionary traditional meaning. The word “red” in 

English is often associated with “violence, blood and evil”. Therefore, when translating the tourist 

material “Deng Xiaoping’s former residence is a famous red tourist attraction”, the translator must pay 

attention to the differences between Chinese and English color cultures. If it is literally translated as 

“Deng Xiaoping old house is a famous red tourist attraction”, it will make native English speakers feel 

creepy and afraid of it, Therefore, an additional translation method should be adopted, followed by 

“with revolutionary trade significance”, so that the translation will conform to the readers’ cultural and 

aesthetic habits and attract more and more foreign tourists; Of course, there is also a wonderful way to 

do the same with it, which is to directly use the free translation method to translate it into “Deng 

Xiaoping old house is a famous revolutionary tourism”. 

 

5. Conclusion 

In a word, with the rapid development of China’s economy, the tourism industry is also developing 

rapidly. As an important means of cross-cultural communication, tourism can promote people from 

different regions and cultural backgrounds to communicate and understand. Tourism materials are one 

of the most important means of communication. Because of their strong functionality, rich cultural 

connotation and large amount of information, tourism materials play a very important role in the play 

of foreign tourism customers. 

Therefore, when translating Chinese tourism materials, the translator must, from a cross-cultural 

perspective, cultivate awareness of cross-cultural communication and strategies of cross-cultural 

communication, analyze and find out the cultural differences at home and abroad, and find out the 

factors that cause problems. Only in this way can the translator improve the quality of tourism 

materials translation, make foreign tourists get a good tourism environment, and finally make the 

culture at home and abroad exchange. 

 

References 

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Li, H. T. (2010). On cultural untranslatability and Its Countermeasures. Journal of Higher 

Correspondence Education (PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES), 8, 3-9. 

Ma, C. (2010). The Enlightenment of communicative translation strategies on Chinese-English tourism 

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SCIENCE EDITION), 6, 119-121. 

Qiao, R. (2012). Cultural significance and translation strategies in cross-cultural translation. College 

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Author: Yi An-yin (1979-), male, Han People, born in Mian Yang, Sichuan Province,China; a vice 

professor of English, and a teacher of Institute of Pre-college Education for Ethnic Minorities of 

Sichuan Minzu College. Research Orientation: Applied Linguistics and translation. Address: Institute 

of Pre-college Education for Ethnic Minorities, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, Sichuan, China, 

626001. 


