The Shapotou in Ningxia and 52 other irrigation works in China were approved as state-leveled scenic spots on Tuesday by the Ministry of Water Resources, making the total number of national irrigation scenic spots reaching 192.

Deputy director of the Ministry of Water Resources Zhai Haohui said China's irrigation scenic spots had taken a basic form. They not only help ecology and protect water resources, but also boost the development of related industry.

In 2004, the 131 state-level irrigation scenic spots made 750 million yuan of revenue from tourism and the total income made from all related business reached 1.172 billion yuan. The income helped relieve the financial burden for water resource institutions.

The newly selected irrigation scenic spots are mostly built based on water resources or engineering projects. These scenic spots attract tourists for their landscape, banks, islands, meadow, and buildings where people come here for sightseeing, entertainment or vacation.

Zhai added that China publicized or was drafting a number of policies and regulation so as to protect these scenic spots for better development.

(Chinanews.cn October 26, 2005)