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China Diversifies Tourist Promotional Drives
Over a dozen Chinese TV stations including China's Central Television and Phoenix Television from Hong Kong recently competed in a contest of using documentaries to recast the breathtaking beauty of the Zhangjiajie Mountains in central China's Hunan Province.
The scenery of steep and lush green mountain peaks occasionally veiled by floating humid remained silent for thousands of years and was only known to the outside world through paintings and photographs taken by Chinese famed artist Wu Guanzhong in early 1980s.
The mountain area was soon elevated by the Chinese government as a national tourist spot, when domestic travels became popular along with the increase in people's salary. Zhangjiajie's reputation was highlighted with its nomination as one of the world's cultural heritage sites by UNESCO in 1992.
An aerial acrobatic grand prix was staged in 1999, when a Hungarian pilot, Peter Besenyei, on an Extra 300S plane, flew through the Heavenly Door in an aerobatics stunt. It marked the first time a human being flew through a natural cavern in history.
"The show was organized to promote Zhangjiajie's international fame," said He Tongxin, the vice-governor.
Provincial leaders also led delegations to launch promotional drives for the tourist area in Hong Kong.
Packaging tourist products have become as common as advertisements. Chinese National Tourism Administration started in 1999 to give annual theme for the country's tourist year. For example, the theme for tourism in the year 1999 was '99 Eco-Tourism.
The tourism authority has announced that the 2001 theme will be "Health and Fitness Tour," and those for 2002 to 2005 will respectively be "Folk Arts - China, Culinary Kingdom - China, Catch the Lifestyle - China and VisitChina -- the Third China Tourism Year."
Overseas promotions have become the new fashion. In March, Beijing exhibited its ancient artistic works housed in the Forbidden City in Paris, and Zhejiang Province displayed sights of elegant bridges over brooks as well as the island scenes to Japan to lure potential tourists.
Tourist promotions nowadays have taken on various forms, often featuring TV programs, expositions, cuisine and flower festivals.
The number of China's exhibitions and commodity fairs increases at an annual rate of 50 percent. The organizing committee of China International Tourist Fair has announced that starting in 2001, it will make the biennial event an annual one. Shanghai and Kunming
cities will host the fair in turn.
Tourism officials said diversified promotional efforts have helped the robust growth of the country's tourism industry.
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