The longest total solar eclipse of the century is attracting people from around the world to China's Yangtze River valley. Wednesday's solar eclipse is sparking tourism fever in China.

Suzhou is filled with overseas astronomers gearing up to watch the solar eclipse.

One Russian astronomer said "It is the longest solar eclipse, we can watch up to 5 minutes in Suzhou. We will take a lot of pictures and collect some valuable data."

Suzhou's tourism bureau says, so far, 81 overseas tour groups plan to watch the solar eclipse.

One overseas tourist said "We came from the Netherlands, we have 22 members, all here to watch the solar eclipse."

The total eclipse has become a tremendous promotional opportunity for tourism agencies. The best places in the country to view the eclipse are cities along the Yangtze River.

One travel agent said "The hottest destinations also include Jiaxing, Shanghai, and Huangshan Mountain. All the quotas have been booked."

Travel agencies have designed special tour packages. And some have launched one-day trips to attract local people and budget travelers.

(CCTV July 21, 2009)