BEIJING — It’s unclear if President Trump’s elaborate reception of his Chinese counterpart in Washington dazzled President Xi Jinping, but for the Chinese public, it made quite an impression.
Trump’s rare welcome of Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the airport, as well as the bilateral and cultural events the leaders attended were closely covered — and praised — by Chinese state media. Those who watched at home saw a China elevated in status.
“I read the news that the U.S. reception standards for President Xi are very high,” Xiang Ziyu, a postgraduate student in Beijing, told The Associated Press. “I’m quite impressed because it shows that our country has become really powerful.”
That takeaway was shared by several people interviewed by the AP as well as in comments on Chinese social media, which praised China’s cooperation with the United States.
The official People’s Daily newspaper allocated the entire front page to the trip, featuring six photos of the Xi-Trump meetings.
Meanwhile, on the Chinese search engine Baidu, the three most popular search topics on Friday were the talks between Trump and Xi; the state dinner attended by Xi and Peng; and greetings extended by Xi to Chinese people on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival being celebrated on Friday.
Shen Zuohang, a Beijing resident, felt reassured by the coverage and by Trump and Xi’s seeming agreeability on topics like trade, artificial intelligence and security.
“We have no trade war and no military conflict. Even on the issue of Taiwan we are moving in a good direction instead of having heated confrontation,” Shen said.
“The two sides are handling issues in a more acquiescent way.”
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi called on Trump to oppose the independence of Taiwan, an island democracy China claims as its own territory, and to handle the issue with caution. Trump did not immediately make comments on Taiwan, but had previously described U.S. arms sales to the island as open to negotiations with China.
Xiang, the student, said the summit overall sent a positive signal and will help improve the Chinese public’s opinion of the relations between the two countries.
“It is better than not communicating,” he said.
Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang in Beijing and writer Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
A HUGE estate with beautiful grounds, tea room and even a museum could be set to completely transform.
Waterperry Gardens in Oxford has submitted plans for a complete change-up including the building of a brand-new tea room additions to the courtyard.
Waterperry Gardens is an estate with a huge house, gardens, and tea roomCredit: AlamyNew designs have been submitted for a new tea room with enormous windowsCredit: Cowper Griffith Architects / South Oxfordshire District Council
Waterperry Gardens is a popular spot thanks to its beautiful ornamental gardens, award-winning tea rooms, garden shop, gift barn, gallery and museum.
It even has an outdoor amphitheatre for opera, theatre and music with performances through the summer months.
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It’s visited year-round thanks to its various flower and plant displays with lots saying it’s still worth a trip out of season in autumn.
One visitor said: “We have visited Waterperry several times and in the early autumn the aster borders are at their best.”
Another added: “Lovely little place. Great gardens (even in late October there was still plenty of colour). Nice cafe. Good shop and gallery.”
A third wrote: “This is difficult to describe how wonderful these gardens are. Even at the beginning of September they were full of bloom.”
But the Waterperry Gardens could well transform as it submits plans to build a brand new home for its tea room – and reconfigure the site.
The plans say “there is an urgent need to replace the existing catering building with a new facility that serves both the current and future needs of the site“.
The building which houses the tearooms was a former laboratory which has “exceeded its lifespan.”
Visitors say that the gardens are worth visiting all year-roundCredit: Getty
Other plans include relocating the car park to the west of the picnic lawn and seating on a courtyard between the museum and the new building.
These proposals are currently in its consultation period – so there’s plenty of time to see Waterperry Gardens as it is now.
Anyone visiting will definitely want to pop into its award-winning tea room.
Last year it won Afternoon Tea of the Year 2025 by the Garden Centre Catering Awards.
The redevelopment reveals new building and courtyard seatingCredit: Cowper Griffith Architects / South Oxfordshire District CouncilThe new plans are in the consultation phaseCredit: Cowper Griffith Architects / South Oxfordshire District Council
At lunchtimes it serves up jacket potatoes , soups, salads and homemade cakes.
It also has two afternoon tea options; Waterperry Tea or Celebration Tea.
Each comes with a selection of cakes, homemade jam, scones and clotted cream, sandwiches and mini vegetarian quiche tart, along with loose leaf tea, coffee or Prosecco.
Visitors can also pop into its on-site museum which reveals what rural life was like 100 years ago, and kids can enjoy the play outdoor play area too.
The holiday park chain is one of the most popular in the UK, offering a vast array of activities and family fun, but there’s one common issue in reviews that has seen it criticised, especially by parents
12:29, 09 Sep 2026Updated 08:46, 10 Sep 2026
Its six holiday parks have serene lake and forest settings(Image: Center Parcs)
One of the UK’s most popular holiday park chains has been hit by a low score in a national ranking, with visitors particularly irked about one thing in particular.
Center Parcs has six holiday villages across the UK, and in a recent Which? survey, it was the most-visited holiday park on the list, especially popular for short breaks in its car-free forest locations.
Which? said: “You like that you know what you’re getting, from the acres of forest trails to the swimming pool in a heated glass dome – a subtropical paradise even in the soggiest of British summers. It also earned praise for appealing to all ages, whether that’s with the treetop aerial adventure or the thermal spa (with a volcanic steam room and an igloo-inspired ice cave).”
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
The parks were also praised for their accommodation, with higher grades including facilities such as hot tubs, saunas, and games rooms, making it a solid “family favourite” according to Which?. But customers were particularly unhappy with one thing.
“However, it’s extraordinarily expensive, at more than twice the price of budget rival Haven. Activities cost even more on top, and you need to secure your preferred slots weeks in advance. The two-star rating for value for money is the joint lowest in our survey. You could save a fortune by choosing a better-rated rival,” the Which? survey noted.
In most aspects, Center Parcs performed well. It was awarded four stars for activities, entertainment and facilities, as well as quality of accommodation and cleanliness. It achieved three stars for customer service and food and drink. But its place in the rankings, fifth from the bottom, came due to its value for money score at just two stars. It was the third most expensive of all the holiday parks surveyed.
It’s not the first time the chain has been criticised for its high prices. In a viral social media post, one fed-up mum showed the difference in prices between a school holiday and September dates at the parks, commenting: “If anyone’s unsure when their kids return to school after the holidays, Center Parcs have this handy tool.” A four-night break in August was priced at £1,049, while the same holiday a week later, post-school holidays, was £529.
Even positive reviews of the parks often mention the price. One recent review of Center Parcs Woburn Forest said: “Amazing place to holiday. Personally, I felt the prices of things on-site were a little high, and that was even going outside of term-time; however, you cannot fault the fun and wonder of being at these parks.”
Another was more blunt: “Badly overpriced, we only paid £799 for a family of 4 and it still felt like a rip off. You get a good room, yes, but it’s nothing you can’t get at a hotel in the countryside for half the price. Every single other activity charged extra (except swimming which is decent but you can get a similar quality just slightly more warm out at Butlin’s for 1/10th of the price).”
Center Parcs has been contacted for comment.
The UK’s best and worst holiday parks
(Name of resort, overall customer score)
Potters Resorts – 83%
Hoburne Holidays – 81%
Darwin Escapes – 80%
Landal Parks – 80%
Waterside Holiday Group – 80%
Shorefield Holidays – 76%
Away Resorts – 75%
Bluestone Wales – 75%
Park Leisure UK – 75%
Highland Holidays – 74%
Lyons Holiday Parks – 74%
Largo Leisure – 73%
Park Holidays UK – 73%
Warner Coastal Villages – 73%
Forest Holidays – 72%
John Fowler Holidays – 72%
Center Parcs – 69%
Haven Holidays – 68%
Parkdean Resorts – 68%
Butlin’s – 63%
Pontins – 61%
Based on a survey of 2,221 Which? Connect panel members and general public conducted in February and March 2026.
In China, the Xi-Trump summit is seen as projecting image of the country’s rise
BEIJING — It’s unclear if President Trump’s elaborate reception of his Chinese counterpart in Washington dazzled President Xi Jinping, but for the Chinese public, it made quite an impression.
Trump’s rare welcome of Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the airport, as well as the bilateral and cultural events the leaders attended were closely covered — and praised — by Chinese state media. Those who watched at home saw a China elevated in status.
“I read the news that the U.S. reception standards for President Xi are very high,” Xiang Ziyu, a postgraduate student in Beijing, told The Associated Press. “I’m quite impressed because it shows that our country has become really powerful.”
That takeaway was shared by several people interviewed by the AP as well as in comments on Chinese social media, which praised China’s cooperation with the United States.
The official People’s Daily newspaper allocated the entire front page to the trip, featuring six photos of the Xi-Trump meetings.
Meanwhile, on the Chinese search engine Baidu, the three most popular search topics on Friday were the talks between Trump and Xi; the state dinner attended by Xi and Peng; and greetings extended by Xi to Chinese people on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival being celebrated on Friday.
Shen Zuohang, a Beijing resident, felt reassured by the coverage and by Trump and Xi’s seeming agreeability on topics like trade, artificial intelligence and security.
“We have no trade war and no military conflict. Even on the issue of Taiwan we are moving in a good direction instead of having heated confrontation,” Shen said.
“The two sides are handling issues in a more acquiescent way.”
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi called on Trump to oppose the independence of Taiwan, an island democracy China claims as its own territory, and to handle the issue with caution. Trump did not immediately make comments on Taiwan, but had previously described U.S. arms sales to the island as open to negotiations with China.
Xiang, the student, said the summit overall sent a positive signal and will help improve the Chinese public’s opinion of the relations between the two countries.
“It is better than not communicating,” he said.
Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang in Beijing and writer Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
Source link
Very grand garden centre with country’s best afternoon tea unveils huge makeover plans
A HUGE estate with beautiful grounds, tea room and even a museum could be set to completely transform.
Waterperry Gardens in Oxford has submitted plans for a complete change-up including the building of a brand-new tea room additions to the courtyard.
Waterperry Gardens is a popular spot thanks to its beautiful ornamental gardens, award-winning tea rooms, garden shop, gift barn, gallery and museum.
It even has an outdoor amphitheatre for opera, theatre and music with performances through the summer months.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
It’s visited year-round thanks to its various flower and plant displays with lots saying it’s still worth a trip out of season in autumn.
One visitor said: “We have visited Waterperry several times and in the early autumn the aster borders are at their best.”
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Another added: “Lovely little place. Great gardens (even in late October there was still plenty of colour). Nice cafe. Good shop and gallery.”
A third wrote: “This is difficult to describe how wonderful these gardens are. Even at the beginning of September they were full of bloom.”
But the Waterperry Gardens could well transform as it submits plans to build a brand new home for its tea room – and reconfigure the site.
The plans say “there is an urgent need to replace the existing catering building with a new facility that serves both the current and future needs of the site“.
The building which houses the tearooms was a former laboratory which has “exceeded its lifespan.”
A new design by Cowper Griffith Architects revealed a much brighter building with large windows.
Other plans include relocating the car park to the west of the picnic lawn and seating on a courtyard between the museum and the new building.
These proposals are currently in its consultation period – so there’s plenty of time to see Waterperry Gardens as it is now.
Anyone visiting will definitely want to pop into its award-winning tea room.
Last year it won Afternoon Tea of the Year 2025 by the Garden Centre Catering Awards.
At lunchtimes it serves up jacket potatoes , soups, salads and homemade cakes.
It also has two afternoon tea options; Waterperry Tea or Celebration Tea.
Each comes with a selection of cakes, homemade jam, scones and clotted cream, sandwiches and mini vegetarian quiche tart, along with loose leaf tea, coffee or Prosecco.
Visitors can also pop into its on-site museum which reveals what rural life was like 100 years ago, and kids can enjoy the play outdoor play area too.
Source link
UK’s best-known holiday park named among country’s worst with customers annoyed about one thing
The holiday park chain is one of the most popular in the UK, offering a vast array of activities and family fun, but there’s one common issue in reviews that has seen it criticised, especially by parents
12:29, 09 Sep 2026Updated 08:46, 10 Sep 2026
Its six holiday parks have serene lake and forest settings(Image: Center Parcs)
One of the UK’s most popular holiday park chains has been hit by a low score in a national ranking, with visitors particularly irked about one thing in particular.
Center Parcs has six holiday villages across the UK, and in a recent Which? survey, it was the most-visited holiday park on the list, especially popular for short breaks in its car-free forest locations.
Which? said: “You like that you know what you’re getting, from the acres of forest trails to the swimming pool in a heated glass dome – a subtropical paradise even in the soggiest of British summers. It also earned praise for appealing to all ages, whether that’s with the treetop aerial adventure or the thermal spa (with a volcanic steam room and an igloo-inspired ice cave).”
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
The parks were also praised for their accommodation, with higher grades including facilities such as hot tubs, saunas, and games rooms, making it a solid “family favourite” according to Which?. But customers were particularly unhappy with one thing.
“However, it’s extraordinarily expensive, at more than twice the price of budget rival Haven. Activities cost even more on top, and you need to secure your preferred slots weeks in advance. The two-star rating for value for money is the joint lowest in our survey. You could save a fortune by choosing a better-rated rival,” the Which? survey noted.
In most aspects, Center Parcs performed well. It was awarded four stars for activities, entertainment and facilities, as well as quality of accommodation and cleanliness. It achieved three stars for customer service and food and drink. But its place in the rankings, fifth from the bottom, came due to its value for money score at just two stars. It was the third most expensive of all the holiday parks surveyed.
It’s not the first time the chain has been criticised for its high prices. In a viral social media post, one fed-up mum showed the difference in prices between a school holiday and September dates at the parks, commenting: “If anyone’s unsure when their kids return to school after the holidays, Center Parcs have this handy tool.” A four-night break in August was priced at £1,049, while the same holiday a week later, post-school holidays, was £529.
Even positive reviews of the parks often mention the price. One recent review of Center Parcs Woburn Forest said: “Amazing place to holiday. Personally, I felt the prices of things on-site were a little high, and that was even going outside of term-time; however, you cannot fault the fun and wonder of being at these parks.”
Another was more blunt: “Badly overpriced, we only paid £799 for a family of 4 and it still felt like a rip off. You get a good room, yes, but it’s nothing you can’t get at a hotel in the countryside for half the price. Every single other activity charged extra (except swimming which is decent but you can get a similar quality just slightly more warm out at Butlin’s for 1/10th of the price).”
Center Parcs has been contacted for comment.
The UK’s best and worst holiday parks
(Name of resort, overall customer score)
Based on a survey of 2,221 Which? Connect panel members and general public conducted in February and March 2026.
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