Special report:   2008 Olympic Games 

    BEIJING, June 10 -- As the Beijing Olympic torch arrives in Lijiang today, it gives this city in Yunnan province an opportunity to present to the world its efforts to become an environmentally friendly and sustainable tourist destination.

    "This is something in line with the concept of 'Green Olympics' and a course we will continue to pursue after the torch relay," said Wang Junzheng, mayor of Lijiang.

The ancient city of Lijiang is at the foot of the Yulong Mountains, which are snow capped year-round.(Photo Source: China Daily/Zhang Wenyin) Photo Gallery>>>

    Lijiang boasts a great variety of landscapes, a rich history and diverse ethnic cultures, offering unparalleled and unique charms to tourists, said Wang.    

    By setting a good example in environmental protection, Lijiang has received numerous awards and established a prominent cultural and tourist brand. These awards include "the most favored Chinese tourist city by European tourists", "a global excellent city for human habitat" and "a Chinese excellent tourist city".

    Remarkable progress

    As tourism is the mainstay of the local economy, Wang said the city government of Lijiang has taken a series of measures to promote the healthy and sustained development of the industry.

    According to local government statistics, Lijiang attracted 5.31 million tourists and earned total tourism revenue worth 5.82 billion yuan last year. Among these visitors, 400,700 were from overseas, who brought in revenue worth $120 million.

    The tourism industry, which is seeing robust development, has benefited greatly from the support and awareness of the local residents and government in protecting Lijiang as a city of ecological and cultural diversity.

    Bright future

    Wang predicts that the city will become an internationally famous tourist destination upon the completion of a series of future tasks.

    He said one task is to take advantage of the market economy to improve the core competence of the tourism industry, develop more tourism products and extend the industrial chain.

    The city government intends to transform the city from a sightseeing destination to a resort destination for entertainment and conference purposes.

    More and more infrastructure facilities will be built and upgraded, such as projects for protecting the environment and developing new attractions.     

    For example, the plan to establish the "Mega-Shangri-La ecological tourism circle" will help consolidate the leading attractions of the area, including the ancient city center of Lijiang, Yulong Snow Mountain, Lugu Lake and Laojun Mountain. Lijiang and its neighboring areas are believed by many people to be the archetype of Shangri-La in James Hilton's novel, The Lost Horizon.

    In keeping with the requirements of the tourism market, local authorities have also accorded top priority to improving the service and management level in order to help tourists enjoy an exquisite holiday in such a beautiful and charming city, Mayor Wang said.

    Lijiang has witnessed remarkable achievements in the last 30 years, and the future also holds great opportunities. Besides the tourism industry, the city is poised to enjoy rapid development in various other respects as well, such as power generation, railway and civil aviation, Wang noted.

    (Source: China Daily)