Attracts Archives - Com Namibia

This Discreet Seaside Resort Attracts Chinese Leaders

August 5, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Every summer, the highest Chinese leaders almost completely disappear from the public scene for about ten days. Far from the luxurious destinations favored by many heads of state, they retreat to a modest seaside town in the northeast of China. Behind this discreet tradition lies a place steeped in history, closely linked to the Communist power for more than 70 years. Between state secrecy, political heritage, and popular tourism, Beidaihe remains a unique symbol of how the Chinese regime operates.

An ordinary seaside resort turned the power’s summer refuge

At first glance, Beidaihe has nothing of an elite destination. Located about 300 kilometers east of Beijing, this coastal town features sandy beaches, seafood restaurants, and Soviet-inspired villas. Each year, nearly 50 million Chinese tourists stay there, while around 50,000 Russian visitors also come to enjoy its coastline.

But, every summer, the scenery changes quietly. From July onward, security measures tighten at the station in anticipation of the leaders’ arrival. Drones are banned, private boat excursions are suspended, and hot-air balloon flights are no longer allowed. It is usually at the beginning of August that the top Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping, withdraw from the public arena for 10 to 14 days, unless there is a national emergency.

For historian Rana Mitter, interviewed by CNN, this choice is far from trivial. “They do not want to give the impression that they are going to a luxurious place where corruption could be possible”, he explains. According to him, “going to a very traditional and fairly modest station is a good way to symbolize this, whereas going to a five-star hotel in Hainan or to an international Caribbean complex would not have the same effect”.

Cette tradition remonte à 1953, lorsque Mao Zedong, fondateur de la République populaire de Chine en 1949, choisit Beidaihe comme résidence de travail estivale pour les dirigeants communistes. À l’époque, la proximité avec Pékin et l’absence de climatisation dans la capitale rendaient la station particulièrement attractive durant les fortes chaleurs.

A place steeped in history where secrecy remains the rule

Mais Beidaihe n’est pas seulement une destination de vacances. Plusieurs décisions majeures de l’histoire chinoise y ont été prises. En 1958, Mao Zedong y lance notamment les orientations qui conduiront au Grand Bond en avant, une politique économique dont les conséquences provoqueront une famine ayant coûté la vie à des millions de personnes.

Après une interruption durant la Révolution culturelle, les séjours estivaux reprennent après sa mort en 1976. Deng Xiaoping, successeur entre 1978 et 1989, y passe régulièrement ses vacances en famille et ouvre progressivement la station aux touristes étrangers dans les années 1980, alors que la Chine cherche à attirer des devises.

Sous Xi Jinping, le fonctionnement de ces retraites est devenu encore plus opaque. Rana Mitter observe ainsi que “l’époque de Xi Jinping est beaucoup plus mystérieuse, comme beaucoup de choses sous Xi Jinping. Nous ne savons pas vraiment, mais il semble qu’il y ait un consensus selon lequel des réunions se tiennent chaque année”, explique-t-il à CNN.

Le mystère qui entoure Beidaihe intrigue depuis longtemps les observateurs étrangers. Le journaliste allemand Johnny Erling, qui a couvert la Chine pendant près de quarante ans, résume cette fascination en déclarant à CNN : “La politique chinoise est une grande boîte noire et Beidaihe est l’un des noms symboliques de cette réalité. Parce que personne ne sait exactement ce qui s’y passe réellement, mais tout le monde pense savoir quelque chose”.

Au fil de ses visites, il raconte avoir été régulièrement surveillé par les autorités. “La police savait que j’allais venir grâce à mes réservations d’hôtel et aux appels téléphoniques que j’avais passés… ils me demandaient de ne pas y aller… et j’y allais”, affirme-t-il. Lors d’un déplacement en 2018, il remarque même que “la police était déjà sur la plage, faisant semblant de se baigner”.

Aujourd’hui, l’influence politique de Beidaihe semble moins importante qu’autrefois. Pourtant, la station continue d’alimenter les spéculations autour des réunions informelles des dirigeants chinois. Derrière son apparence de simple destination familiale, ce morceau du littoral reste l’un des lieux les plus emblématiques – et les plus secrets – du pouvoir en Chine.

The Heart of America Attracts Tourists

June 15, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

The United States, a vast North American nation formed by 50 states, today counts more than 348 million inhabitants and has Washington, D.C. as its capital. Each year, millions of travelers from around the world embark on legendary road trips here, whether in New York to admire the Statue of Liberty, in San Francisco to marvel at the famed Golden Gate Bridge, or in New Orleans to soak up its festive atmosphere.

Yet the country also hides quieter destinations where unforgettable experiences await, such as Nashville, Eureka Springs, or Portland. According to CNN Travel experts, the heartland state of the United States also deserves a substantial detour. To reach it, you must cover long stretches by car along immense highways that run to the horizon across vast arable lands. Likewise, small towns, akin to simple stopovers, surface beneath a boundless sky.

The geographic center of the United States lies in northern Kansas

Determining the center of the United States has sparked disagreements for many years. “There is no universally accepted definition of the geographic center, nor any method entirely satisfactory for determining it,” stated the U.S. Department of the Interior in a 1964 report. In an attempt to resolve this issue, experts from the U.S. Coast Survey and Geodetic Service employed a precise scientific approach.

They cut a cardboard map of the country and balanced it on the point of a pin to identify its center of gravity. Subsequently, the position was shifted slightly by a few hundred meters to avoid landing on private property. This experiment revealed that the central point lies in the northern part of Kansas, near the town of Lebanon. Following this discovery, the site experienced an unexpected tourist boom.

If you wish to explore the center of the United States, you’ll take I-70 into the rural Kansas road network, winding through farming country and past the river town of Manhattan, then Clay Center, which marks the halfway point between Los Angeles and New York.

Along your journey, you’ll glimpse grain silos, water towers, red-brick barns, Texaco stations that have closed their doors, and endless fields. In Cawker, about 25 minutes from the center, a roadside kiosk on Route 24 houses a quirky spectacle that has made this tiny town famous: the world’s largest ball of twine.

What can one find at the center of the United States?

As CNN Travel notes, the geographic center near Lebanon sits in a very quiet rural area. There you’ll discover a small single-room white chapel, a pine grove, covered picnic tables, and a spring-mounted playground for children. A few signs also indicate the significance of the place.

Additionally, a marker lists the coordinates (39° 50′ N, 93° 35′ W) of what is today called the “historic center,” and a mast flies the flags of Kansas and the United States. On the opposite side of the road, beyond a barbed-wire fence, three large wooden crosses stand sentinel. The interior of this tiny chapel exudes an unexpected serenity, flooded with a soft light filtered through sheer drapes, making it a place conducive to contemplating the world around us.

This is a plaque that indicates the exact coordinates of the geographic center of the United States.

Hecate Temple in Turkey Still Attracts Witches

June 14, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

The rolling hills of Muğla Province in southwestern Turkey cradle the ruins of the ancient city of Lagina. Far from being a local tourist draw like the coastal villages of Akyaka, Marmaris, or Bodrum, the site nonetheless attracts a modest yearly stream of visitors who come specifically to pay homage to Hecate.

There, dating to the Late Hellenistic period and the early Roman Empire, a temple was erected in honor of this powerful Greek goddess, traditionally associated with magic and the Moon, but also with passages between worlds and communication with the dead.

While the worship of most other Greek deities, or even Roman ones, faded with Antiquity, Hecate remains a steadfast object of veneration. Followers from all over the world crowd into the complex to leave offerings or call upon her services.

At the End of a Sacred Road

It must be said that the Lagina sanctuary is a unique case in the ancient world. It is not merely a building, but a genuine religious center in its own image. Curious visitors wandering among its ruins, still scattered with columns, feel as if they are crossing the threshold into a parallel world, or at least stepping through a place as charged with history as it is with spirit. “It is the only temple of this scale in the world built exclusively for the goddess Hecate”, explains Professor Bilal Söğüt, who directs the excavations of Lagina and the neighboring ancient city of Stratonikeia, on CNN, the American network.

In the past, the two sites were linked by the Sacred Way, a stone-paved road a little over eight kilometers long. Lined with fountains, wells, or other small villages, this path once served major religious processions to the temple dedicated to Hecate. Already, crowds from across the region traveled to commemorate her.

Still a Pilgrimage Site

The most important ritual of the era was the so-called key-bearer rite, during which a young girl, a “kleidouchos” (literally “key-bearer”), carried the sacred token to and from along this route between Stratonikeia and Lagina. Throughout the journey, she was accompanied by a choir. “This key not only opens physical doors. It symbolizes the ability to move from life to death, from the conscious to the unconscious, from the old to the new”, notes researcher and author Hüma Zeybek, a specialist in Hecate, to CNN.

Since its construction, the site has experienced fierce political upheavals. After 88 BCE, the region was swept by conflicts between Rome and the kingdoms of Asia Minor. Stratonikeia chose the side of the legionaries, an alliance that earned it favors. From then on, Lagina took on renewed importance. In return, the Romans heavily invested in the temple and organized the festival Hekatesia-Romaia in honor of the goddess.

For these adherents of old times as well as those of today, Hecate, archetype of the wise old woman, serves as a guide in moments of crisis or transformation. Today, witches and wizards of a different kind continue to make the journey to greet her, to embrace her legacy, or to absorb her energy. “There is no other cult where material traces and traditions have been preserved so intact.” notes researcher Emrah Urtekin.