The 2000 World Tourism Day provided a rare opportunity for the thousand-year-old city of Shenyang to show itself to the world, a top official from the National Tourism Administration said.
He was speaking as the city, the capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, held a conference to mark the special day, which was yesterday.
"Based on its wealth of scenic spots, convenient transportation and a well-equipped infrastructure, Liaoning has grown into a major tourist area in northern China," he said. "This has been the key to Shenyang's success in competing with other cities," said Zhang Xiqin, deputy director of the National Tourism Administration.
The theme of 2000 World Tourism Day was "technology and nature," two challenges facing the tourist industry in the 21st century. Many believe the industry's aim should be to further exploit tourism using technology while protecting nature at the same time.
Shenyang is home to the Shenyang Imperial Palace, one of China's two imperial palaces. The other one is the Summer Palace in Beijing.
In addition, the Dongling and Beiling tombs, from the Nurhachi (1559-1626) and Huangtaiji (1592-1643) periods, also add to the city's attraction.
Meanwhile in Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang Province, the 50th Congress of the International Association of Scientific Experts on Tourism opened yesterday.
More than 120 tourism experts and others from 21 countries are attending the convention, which will finish tomorrow.
At the conference, with the theme of culture and tourism, lectures made by experts and professors from France, the United States, Canada and Germany were given on topics such as tourism development and the preservation of cultural relics and the relationship between culture and tourism from a historical point of view.
Those attending the conference will make a field trip to scenic spots and cultural sites in Hangzhou during their five-day stay in the city.
It is the first time a Chinese city has held the annual meeting of the association.
As one of the seven ancient capitals in China with a history of 5,000 years, Hangzhou has many cultural sites.
West Lake, which many describe as a pearl dropped from heaven, has long given Hangzhou worldwide fame.
(China Daily 09/28/2000)
