China will invest 800 million yuan (96.4 million US dollars) to build a new tourism zone in Dunhuang, a city renowned for the Buddhist art of the Mogao Grottos in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The new zone will be located at the Yitang Lake, 20 kilometers east of downtown Dunhuang and 15 kilometers from the Mogao Grottos, which were added to the World Heritage List in 1987. The lake area is abundant in geothermal resources and features gobi desert and grassland.
Local authorities plan to build the zone into a tourist attraction with modern facilities.
Dunhuang was once an important town along the ancient Silk Road linking Central Asia with China. It has now 241 historical sites, including the Mogao Grottos, Mingsha (Singing Sand) Mountain, and the Yueya (Crescent) Spring.
Statistics show that the Mogao grottos played host to about 20, 000 visitors from May 1 to 3, the International Labor Day period, reaching an all-time high. The city of Dunhuang is opening new scenic spots and expects to attract one million visitors by the year 2010.
(from People's Daily)
