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Participants in the second International Liaozhai Cultural and Tourism Festival over the May 1 holiday might feel a chill upon their arrival in Pujiazhuang village, in Zibo city of east China's Shandong province.
Pujiazhuang, a well-preserved village with intact ancient structures, is hometown of Pu Songling, the noted author of the classic ghost story collection "Strange Tales of Liaozhai", who is renowned as one of the world's best short story writers.
Descendants of Pu Songling have invested a total of 160 million yuan (about US$ 19.2 million) to construct a tourism attraction, which comprises more than 30 scenic sites according to the stories in the book. The city, classified AAA by China's Tourism Administration, has receives hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.
The festival at Pujiazhuang is expected to include a Liaozhai cultural seminar, lantern shows, model shows, dance parties and a photo exhibition.
Pu, born in 1640, devoted his whole life to the classic story writing, which has so far been printed in more than 60 languages.
(People's Daily April 15, 2003)
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