Hot Weather Drives Tourists Northward

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 ◆ Hot Weather Drives Tourists Northward

Thousands of visitors are rushing to North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where Genghis Khan fought and lived, to evade the heat wave plaguing China this summer. Meteorologists say that most cities in North China are experiencing one of the hottest summers in history. Temperatures in Inner Mongolia are 5?ower compared with Beijing and Tianjin. Many experts hold that it was cold weather that forced Mongolian hordes to invade southern cities for food and treasure, building a huge empire. Some 700 years ago, when Genghis Khan's offspring conquered China, The Mongolian Plateau was the favorite retreat of the emperors and nobles during the summer. When the weather turned hot, they left capital Beijing and rushed to Shangdu, a temporary capital rich in forests and grasslands. Now tourists are following suit. "It is cool here. I have entered heaven," said Zhang Lin, a tourist from Beijing. Railway stations and airports are jammed with people from different parts of the country. Liu Hongyan, an official with the local aviation administration said that average occupancy of flights is 80 percent. Zhao Jun, deputy general manager of the Inner Mongolian Branch of China Youth Travel Service, said his company has registered more than 2,000 customers since June, most from Beijing and Tianjin. Besides comfortable weather, beautiful grassland and authentic Mongolian tradition attract tourists who long for natural scenery and ethnic dances. Many visit the mausoleum of Genghis Khan located in the Il Yu League. Beijing and Inner Mongolia have entered into an agreement to invest 100 million Yuan (US$12 million) to develop tourism in the region.