Southern Yangtze River Area: Holiday Attraction in MayThe southern the Yangtze River welcomes its golden tourism season at the beginning of spring time.Many hotels and restaurants in some famous southern cities have been booked in advance, according to the latest survey by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). Experts think that the area to the south of the Yangtze river has become the most popular destination of the tourist season. Many tourist agencies in the area began to promote their favorable routes as early as February. Zhang Guangrui, director of the Tourism Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, tourists flock to the southernmost province of Hainan in January, and shift to southern Guangdong province in February. When March approaches, they prefer to go to the southern areas of the Yangtze river. And then the tourist groups move up to the northern parts of China." The southern part of the Yangtze River includes east China provinces such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which are well-known for their beautiful scenery and rich culture. Just as the ancient Chinese poems have described, the area is filled with tourists from home and abroad when the grass turns green and flowers blossom. Jiangsu province is the center of the area. "The ancient capital city Nanjing has attracted many people to its historic sites as well as exhibitions and conferences held lately," according to Lu Sujie, director of Jiangsu Tourism Bureau. She said Suzhou city impresses tourists with all kinds of gardens in spring while Wuxi city has been decorated with green willows along the Tai Lake. Anhui province, with its well-kept residences built from ancient times to Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), has been visited by many people. The architectural designs with unique characteristics have contributed to the soar in ticket sales, up 41 percent compared with the same period of last year. The local governments there believe that the upcoming International Tea Fair in Wuhu city will promote the tourism industry during the May Day holiday. Chen Yan, a student at Beijing University, hiked through a valley in Zhejiang province. He said," I read a lot about the area in books. And now I have the real feelings of the sunshine, the breeze and the brook there." The encouragement by the local government and active policies have also contributed to the thriving of the tourism industry. " This year is the eightieth anniversary of the foundation of the Chinese Communist Party, which provides a good chance to display our old revolution sites," said Wu Wenfeng, director of the Tourism Bureau in Jiangxi province. Several provinces in the country called on Party organizations to witness the remarkable changes in the Red Army bases. Tourist number has grown by 51 percent in the first quarter over the same period in 2000. The number is still on the rise. Bo Xilai, governor of northeast Liaoning province will lead over 1000 people to Jiangxi. By then, China's biggest industrial base will join hands with the oldest cradle of the revolution to further develop tourism and economic growth. |
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