North China's Shanxi Province, one of the country's major popular tourist destinations, registered a record high of nearly 1.56 billion yuan (approximately US$190 million) in tourism income during the week-long May Day holidays that ended on Friday.

The figure represented a rise of hefty 51 percent over the same period in 2002 for the local tourism sector, which suffered losses like other provinces during the 2003 SARS attack.

The May Day holidays this year saw a record high of 7.085 million domestic and overseas people travel to Shanxi.

Some 2.46 million travelers have traveled to 23 major scenic spots in the province and Mount Wutai, one of the four sacred Buddhism mountains in China, was the province's most attractive landscape, followed by other local popular destinations including Yungang Grottoes and the well-preserved ancient city of Pingyao with a history of some 2,000 years.

Local railway, civil aviation and highway systems reported record passenger traffic volume accordingly during the seven-day holiday.
 
(People's Daily May 9, 2004)