Shao said, "It is so convenient to travel by my own car. Instead of having to hurry after a tourist guide from one place to another, I now feel more flexible."

Zheng Fangwei, who works in the Qingdao marine industry, drove to Beijing with his family during the vacation. "Although the distance was a bit far, I enjoyed holidaying in my own car," he said.

Zhou Jie, a student from the Beijing Institute of Technology, rented a car during this month's National Day vacation, just days after he got a driving license. "I hope one day I can drive the car to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau," he said.

Every long vacation, hundreds of thousands of travelers drive on to China's highways and out of the city, using their cars to get closer to nature.

Freed from obligatory spending and a fixed itinerary, tourists in their own cars have the advantage of making their own choices.

The popularity of such holidays is linked to the rise in independent transport in China's large and medium cities, experts point out. When the country first introduced a seven-day vacation policy over two years ago, enthusiastic tourists flocked to scenic sites. Now wise travelers are choosing more remote places for their vacation, with cars their favored transport.

The rise in private cars is another factor. By mid-2002, four percent of Beijing households owned their cars, with 70 yuan (US$8.7) per capita spent on car sales. Nearly 90 percent of new car buyers in Beijing are private owners.

The rapid development of highways is another reason for the popularity in self-drive tourism. In recent years, China's extensive highway network has shortened the distance between cities.

With more tourists now choosing to drive on their vacation, the short-distance domestic market has shrunk, said Zhang Jin, an official with the Beijing Forestry Travel Agency.

(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2002)