Chinese Favor Visiting FactoriesFactories in various parts of China -- including those once notorious for environmental degradation -- have become a popular new tourist attraction, according to a report in the Beijing Evening News.During the week-long National Day holiday starting October 1, hundreds of people thronged to the Beijing Capital Iron and Steel Complex, which has transformed itself from a heavy polluter to a garden-style manufacturing plant. A factory official said visitors can see for themselves how iron and steel are produced through a clean process while enjoying the picturesque environment of the factory. This is "more persuasive than advertisements," the official said. Yanjing Beer Corporation also welcomed thousands of holiday- makers curious to see its computer-controlled management system and up-to-date assembly lines. In the future, visitors to the corporation will be able to see the entire process of beer production, a corporation official said. Apart from Beijing, state-owned enterprises and foreign-funded firms in Shanghai have been opened to visitors. Haier Corporation in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, has attracted over 240,000 tourists since 1999. |
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