First-ladies.jpg (Photo : China Daily)
Six municipal parks in Beijing have launched different tourism routes to promote sites in the parks that were visited by global leaders and their spouses during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting earlier this month, the China Daily reported.
As gathered from the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks, these six municipal parks have made special arrangements so that tourists can follow the routes that the APEC guests took and that they too can see what these heads of states and other dignitaries have seen and do what they have done during their almost week-long stay in the nation's capital.
Tourists, for instance, can now have the chance to watch the traditional music and dance show that was presented when Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, hosted the wives of nine APEC leaders during their visit to the Summer Palace on Nov 11. The tourists can now also take a boat tour of Kunming Lake like these first ladies did.
The Tiantan Park, the Beihai Park, the Jingshan Park, the Beijing Botanical Garden and the Beijing Zoo will also be offering similar treats for tourists.
The so-called "APEC travel routes" have been classified under three categories: world cultural heritage, historical garden and park, and theme park.
Authorities and travel agencies have seen that by introducing new routes related to the APEC meeting, they could potentially boost the national and local tourism industry. As observed by Song Yu, head of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, "the APEC convention center itself has become a popular tourism spot."
Huairou district's tourism authority announced last week six APEC tourism routes, including a panoramic-view tour of the Yanqi Lake scenic site and the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel.
The National Aquatics Center has also started to offer a special APEC tour experience where visitors can take a glimpse and even sample some food that were served during the welcome banquet for the world's leaders.
