Anyang's scenic spots free to foreign visitors

By Hou Lei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-06-30 16:34

Foreign visitors to Anyang City, Henan province, will soon be able to walk into a variety of scenic spots without paying. The free entry program will run between July 1 and the end of the year, China News Service reported Tuesday.

Anyang, one of the eight ancient capitals in China, is known as the hometown of the oracle bone characters (the earliest characters in China), the Book of Changes and patriotic hero Yue Fei.

Earlier this year, local authorities handed out 10 million yuan (US$1.47 million) worth of tickets to domestic tourists, including visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Residents in Anyang can enjoy unlimited access to the spots if they buy a 90-yuan (US$13) tourist card, part of the tourism stimulus program.

While some say it’s unfair to provide free tickets only to foreigners, the local government said preferential policies are in place for domestic tourists as well.

“We just want to attract more tourists, it is good for the city’s economy,” said a local tourism official.