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Holiday revives tourism in quake-hit Sichuan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-01 19:01

CHENGDU -- Tourism in southwest China's quake-hit Sichuan Province is showing signs of revival at the end of the week-long  Lunar New Year holiday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) talks to women of Qiang ethnic group at Maoershi Village, Leigu Township of Beichuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 24, 2009. Tourism in southwest China's quake-hit Sichuan Province is showing signs of revival at the end of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. [Xinhua]

The provincial tourism office on Sunday announced 16.5 million tourist visits in the holiday, which ended Saturday, up 21.9 percent from the Spring Festival week last year.

Related readings:  Wen in quake zone to celebrate New Year  Wen cooks amid quake-zone visit  Students from quake-hit areas mingle with sea animals  Quake zone residents welcome Lunar New Year

The Donghekou Earthquake Relics Park, established to commemorate last year's May 12 earthquake, in Qingchuan County welcomed more than 64,300 domestic and overseas tourists during the holiday.

The park contains the ruins of Donghekou Village, where all but 300 of more than 1,400 villagers failed to survive a devastating landslide triggered by the earthquake.

Earthquake tours in the county attracted more than 100,000 visitors in the holiday, which helped revive small businesses, said a tourist office official.

Many tourists visited small restaurants set up by survivors in temporary settlements in Beichuan County, one of the worst affected areas, and were drawn to countryside tours to see farmhouses built after the earthquake.