Yunnan Province in southwest China received 38 million tourists in 1999, according to statistics from the provincial tourism bureau.

Revenue from tourism reached 20.4 billion yuan, up 49 percent over 1998. Incomplete statistics also show that Yunnan had received one million overseas visitors by the end of 1999, an increase of 37 percent over 1998.

Foreign exchange from the tourism industry stood at 333 million US dollars, and a majority of the tourists came from Macao, HongKong and Taiwan, Europe, the United States, and southeast Asian countries.

Located in the subtropical zone, Yunnan has 224 scenic spots, including tropical rain forests and snow-covered mountains, and 25 ethnic minorities.

The '99 Kunming World Horticulture Exposition, the largest of its kind ever held in China, also helped promote the development of tourism in the province. The expo alone attracted over nine million visitors from May 1 to October 31.