Central China province to offer 1 bln yuan of loans to virus-hit cultural, tourism sectors

Central China's Henan province plans to offer loans of no less than 1 billion yuan ($141 million) to help revive the cultural and tourism sectors that have been hammered by the novel coronavirus outbreak, authorities said.

The funds, aimed to ease the financial difficulties of related companies, will be mainly poured into tourist resorts, travel agencies and family inns, according to a circular jointly released by the provincial department of culture and tourism and Zhongyuan Bank based in the provincial capital of Zhengzhou.

State-level cultural and tourism industrial parks, key national cultural export companies and projects, and museums, galleries and libraries that have a relatively mature market and the potential for cultural product innovations will also be supported, the circular said.

With abundant cultural and tourism resources, Henan is the birthplace of the world-famous Shaolin Kungfu, and home to a number of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, including the Longmen Grottoes and Anyang Yin Ruins.