'A' means advancement for tourist spots

There are so many exciting and world-renowned attractions to see in China, such as the Great Wall, the Palace Museum and Mount Huangshan. With 5,000 years of history and civilization, China is home to the second highest number (50) of UNESCO World Heritage Sites; only Italy (51) has more.

China's domestic tourism market has been booming over the last decade, with a 10 percent annual growth on average. China's top-rated, AAAAA or 5A, tourist attractions have tripled from 66 in 2007 to more than 200 at present. However, three sites were recently stripped of their 5A rating accreditations.

The first case of cancellation of the 5A-rated accreditation was Shanhaiguan Pass, the eastern end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall in North China's Hebei province, last October, while Southwest China's Chongqing municipality's Shenlong Gorge and Central China's Hunan province's Orange Isle lost their privilege later. The common problems found by the China National Tourism Administration at the three sites included overpricing, bad sanitation, poor facility maintenance and degraded services.