Construction of airport road to world heritage site underway

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 ◆ Construction of airport road to world heritage site underway

Construction of a 91-km highway leading to the new Jiuzhai-Huanglong Airport being built on the site of the Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong scenic zones in southwest China's Sichuan Province is underway, with the completion date of August 2003 for both the airport and the highway.

The cost of the project is estimated at 300 million yuan (36 million US dollars).

Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are famous for their clean lakes, natural forests and beautiful landscapes, and up to 1.2 million Chinese and overseas tourists visit them annually.

Both areas are listed with the United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the world's natural heritage treasures, and they are also part of the international biosphere network.

Currently, visitors have to travel several hours by bus to reach the two tourist attractions.