China Unveils Its Wonders

A very Great wall is among dozens of sites in China that have wowed UNESCO.

The United Nations body has given World Heritage Site status to 52 sites in China, with foreign tourists able to visit the attractions, says the vice-chairman of the China National Tourism Administration.

Xiaofeng Wang told an Oct. 10 Toronto gathering that China is “one of the countries having the largest number of World Heritage Sites in the World,” among those sites the famed Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the storied Silk Road and the Huangshan Mountains.

Wang and some of his colleagues were on a tour promoting China’s World Heritage Sites.

Wang said that around 750,000 Canadians visit China each year and his homeland is now the fourth-most-visited country in the world.

Chinese tourism officials say an improved tourism infrastructure means their country can easily accommodate all types of tourists.

China’s consul-general in Toronto Wei He in turn told the gathering that both Canada and China are “rich in tourism resources” and China is easily accessible for Canadians, with some 20 flights a day between the two countries.

China was also praised by Beth Potter of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada for the “amazing destinations” that it offers tourists.

Potter said TIAC is working with its Chinese counterparts to “increase the two-way flow [of tourists between Canada and China] to new heights.”

Rita Tsang of Destination Canada added that “the potential of the Chinese market for our industry cannot be understated.”

Wang is seen here at the Toronto event with one of his colleagues in front of an ice sculpture recreating part of the Great Wall of China.