Lijiang, a popular tourist area in China's Yunnan Province, has been reclassified as a city after approval from the State Council. This upgrade from regional status is expected to bring great opportunities to the development of tourism industry there.

Already one of the most popular sites in China for foreign and domestic tourists, Lijiang City is now seeing new opportunities for its tourism industry. A prominent change will take place in its Yulong County.

As a part of its effort to protect the ancient town center, which is listed as a world cultural heritage, the local authority has decided to move 30,000 to 50,000 of residents from the old town center to a new one. Altogether 4 billion RMB, or around US$480 million, will be put into the construction of the new town center which is to be completed in 2005. Repair work on the old town center is also a part of the plan.

With its ice-capped mountains, pastoral scenery and ancient city, Lijiang is ready for a new stage in tourism development.

(CCTV.com September 28, 2003)