Ningxia to Host Int'l Tourism Festival

"2000 China the Grand Landscape of Ningxia and the Yellow River Int'l Tourism Festival" will be held in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from July 8 to 12 this year.

Ma Junting, vice-chairman of the region, said on April 20 that Ningxia is on the ancient Silk Road and tourists to Ningxia will be able to drift on the Yellow River, to explore the Tengger Desert, to visit the remains of ancient Western Xia Kingdom, and to experience local customs of Hui people.

Ma said that the region hopes to further boost the development of local economy by taking the opportunity rendered by the central government's strategy to develop the western parts of China.

He said the region received 2.16 million visitors from home and abroad last year, and earned a total income of about 1.74 million US dollars in foreign exchange from tourism, a 23 percent growth over 1998.

The festival was jointly sponsored by the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region government and the National Tourism Administration.

Ningxia has long been known as the "hometown of Chinese Muslims ".

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