Guangxi: A Special Gift to Tourists

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 ◆ Guangxi: A Special Gift to Tourists

Every Chinese knows the saying: "The mountains and waters of Guilin are the finest under heaven''. But many a Guangxi residents would say: "Everywhere in Guangxi is like Guilin.'' Truly, the karst landforms that typify Guilin's mountains and waters can be seen almost everywhere in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Guangxi enjoys rich natural and cultural tourism resources. Besides the world-famous Guilin, the sub-tropical sea and beach scenery in Beihai, Qinzhou and Fangcheng, the local customs represented by the Zhuang and Yao nationalities, the border between China and Viet Nam, and the numerous cultural relics all contribute to a great gift for every tourist. The number of visitors to Guangxi has increased continuously in recent years, bringing about a substantial rise in local revenue. In 1997, for instance, some 573,100 overseas and 32.51 million domestic tourists came to Guangxi, creating gross income of 15.31 billion yuan, 7.41 percent of Guangxi's gross domestic product. By March 1998, there were 167 hotels authorized to receive foreigners, including 60 with star rating, in Guangxi, and 46 international travel services and 180 others for the domestic market.