New travel options released to spur tourism

Updated: 2016-11-14

New featured tourism products and travel routes have been launched by the tourism bureau of Baotou to promote tourism in the coming winter, reports Baotou Daily.

The tourism products include ice festivals, fishing, folk culture activities, and events tied to the local hot springs. New travel routes passing through places of interest in Baotou were launched to beckon more tourists, including Wudang Temple, a portion of the Great Wall constructed during the Qin Dynasty, Meidai Monastery, and Nanhai Wetland Resort.

Ice festivals in Baotou have received a warm welcome, in part because they have adapted to local customs. These festivals are often called “ice naadam,” because their unique activities and games are called “naadam” in the Mongolian language. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

Baotou, the largest industrial city of North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, saw a boom in its tourism industry in the first three quarters of 2016. The city received nine million tourists from January to August, year-on-year growth of 13.5 percent. The total tourism revenue hit 30 billion yuan ($4.4 billion), year-on-year growth of 23 percent.

The city continues to take advantage of its rich tourism resources and launched a travel route to Ma’an Mountain, which is located in Guyang County, Baotou. Ma’an in Mandarin means horse saddle, for the mountain appears to be in the shape of a saddle, looking up from its base. Being part of the Jiufeng Mountain Natural Reserve, the Ma’an Mountain boasts the beauty of a primeval forest and has become the most photographed tourist attraction in Baotou as posted on the social media network of WeChat.

Tourists take photos of ice sculptures displayed at an ice exhibition in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

Tourists ski at an international ski resort in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

An ice sculpture exhibition is put on in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/Baotou Daily]