An increasing number of international tourists come to Finland searching for the secret to happiness, yet Lakeland is still an undiscovered gem for many. It's the region Finns themselves return to when they want to relax truly, and the perfect destination for anyone looking to step away from the noise of everyday life.
At the outset of the Kalevala, Finland's national epic, a singer bemoans his separation from a beloved friend who grew up beside him. Today, the friends rarely meet "näillä raukoilla rajoilla, poloisilla Pohjan mailla" - lines which translator Keith Bosley renders "on these poor borders, the luckless lands of the North." The Kalevala, a poetic masterpiece of nearly 23,000 lines, first appeared in 1835. Now, nearly 200 years later, those "luckless lands of the North" are an increasingly tense border zone.
Beijing is willing to enhance mutual trust, strengthen communication and deepen economic cooperation with Finland, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared as he welcomed Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Beijing. Orpo was in the Chinese capital on Tuesday to meet Xi and other leaders as part of a four-day visit to the country that began on Sunday. list of 3 itemsend of list During their meeting, Xi told Orpo that Finnish businesses were welcome to swim freely in the vast Chinese market, according to the official Xinhua news agency.