Scores of new tourist routes are expected to open up in western China to a major influx of foreign visitors in the next 15 years.

The new routes are part of a national strategy for the development of western China's tourist resources unveiled in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou Province, said Wei Xiao'an, a National Tourism Administration official.

One of the new routes of high interest will be the Chama Gudao, a narrow and dangerous commercial route used decades ago to ship tea and sugar from Yunnan and Sichuan provinces to Tibet in exchange for horses and salt.

This route will start in Simao in Yunnan, go through the ancient city of Lijiang, a scenic town recently renamed Shangri-La, and the snow-capped Meili Mountains before ending at Ranwu Lake in Tibet.

One highlight is a journey along the ancient Silk Road, which starts in present-day Xi'an in Shaanxi Province and cuts west through Dunhuang, which is famous for its Mogao Grottoes, the Yumen Pass, and Xinjiang.

A cruise on the Lancang-Mekong watercourse will incorporate scenic spots in China's Yunnan Province and in several Southeast Asian countries.

Western China consists of 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. It has many world-famous scenic spots, including Mount Qomolangma; Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb, which houses 8,000 life-size terra-cotta warriors and horses; and the Potala Palace, the holy palace and gem of Tibetan culture.

The 6.6-million-square kilometre area is also home to many of China's ethnic minorities with different lifestyles and cultural heritages.

Statistics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences show that there are more than 6,000 places of natural beauty in western China. Of the 100 scenic spots well known at home and abroad, nine have been placed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Western China received more than 200 million visitors last year, generating up to 100 billion yuan (US$12 billion) in revenues.

The picturesque villages inhabited by people of the Dong nationality in Guizhou Province received more than 100,000 Chinese and foreign tourists last year.

In recent years, the development of western China has received attention from governments at all levels. As they plan favourable policies, investors have increased their interests in the economic growth in the vast regions.

( China Daily May 20, 2002)