Anhui province launched its tourism promotion week in Shanghai Friday at the World Expo.

"We aim to expand our tourism market by letting more people know about the province's abundant tourism resources during the Expo," said Wang Sanyun, governor of Anhui province.

Wang said in the first five months of this year, Anhui had received about four million tourists from Shanghai, a rise of 63 percent over the same period of last year, an increase contributed by the Expo.

Hu Xuefan, director of Anhui Tourism Administration, said the province welcomed more than 600,000 tourists from abroad between January and May of this year, up 34.1 percent compared to the same period of last year.

He said the administration has arranged new scenic routes for visitors from home and abroad to enjoy the province's charming scenes.

The Buddhist project in Jiuhua Mountain, costing 1 billion yuan, includes a bronze Dizang Buddha statue 99 meters tall, a Buddhist museum and a Buddhist college. "It is expected to be completed soon", Mr Hu said.

By Chen Qide (China Daily Shanghai Bureau)