Key land port promotes tourism

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 ◆ Key land port promotes tourism

A transformation project will be carried out at the Horgos entry port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to promote border trade based on cross-border tourism.

The 2-million-yuan project comprises a free market, a folk customs park and a processing center in addition to banks, hotels, shops and other service facilities.

Upon its completion, Horgos will be a port integrating with trade, industry and tourism, said Jia Yisheng, deputy director of the port's administrative bureau.

Horgos, the largest land port in western China, is 378 kilometers from Alma-Ata, capital of Kazakhstan. The port received 110,000 visitors in the first 11 months this year.

Due to the slowdown in imports and exports this year, the port' s administrative bureau decided to promote tourism.

Currently a "one-day visa-free tour" program has been launched under which citizens of Kazakhstan can go shopping at a border market at Horgos without a visa.(xinhua)