Beijing sees decline in tourists

The capital is attracting fewer tourists compared to this time last year and tourist complaints concerning the city have risen over the last six months.

The capital attracted 2.14 million tourists during the first six months of this year, a 14.3 percent decrease from the same period last year, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

The decline started in 2012 when the city welcomed 5 million tourists, down 3.76 percent from 5.20 million in 2011, according to the authority.

Meanwhile, the capital city's tourist satisfaction index stood at 75.28 in the second quarter. This marked a drop from 80.97 in the first quarter, according to the China Tourism Academy.

The score was the lowest since the academy started the quarterly survey in 2009.

To combat the downward trend, the Beijing Commission of Tourism Development held a conference in July to discuss possible remedies.

A spokesperson for the commission told China Daily that details of a plan to boost tourism will be worked out soon.

A weak global economy has played a part as has an appreciating currency, said Zhang Hui, a tourism management professor at Beijing Jiaotong University.

More importantly, services in many Chinese cities do not meet the standards of the West, and scenic spots can be overcrowded, said Zhang.

A China Tourism Academy survey also shows that in the second quarter, the complaint rate of inbound tourists nationwide was 7.20 percent, rising from 5.77 percent of the first quarter.

Complaints focused on the environment at scenic spots and urban management, said Chen Xu from the China Tourism Academy.

"Chinese cities, including Beijing, have not established a system that can provide solid services for individual tourists," Zhang said.

Hu Jiying, a marketing manager at China CYTS Tours, said that her company witnessed a sharp drop in tourists, especially in the first half of this year.

The company saw the number of tourists from Japan to Beijing drop nearly 70 percent in the first half of the year, while Beijing also saw a 30 percent decrease in European tourists, according to Hu.

The trend was partly because China was losing its attractiveness to overseas tourists amid rising costs, said Hu.

The Beijing market was particularly affected as most tourists will choose the capital as their first destination in China, Hu said.

Hu's company has tried to provide more detailed services for overseas tourists, such as providing greater tour choices.

Group tours in Beijing were not popular because tourists did not know each other and the service in crowded scenic spots was poor, said Jia Jianqiang, a founder of Beijing-based startup tourism company Liurenyou.com.

Source: By Jin Haixing (China Daily)

China's Air Regulator Will Consider Ways to Boost Budget-Carrier Market

SHANGHAI—China is taking steps to jump-start its fledgling budget-airline market, according to people familiar with the situation, a sign of further liberalization in one of the nation's most tightly regulated sectors.

Li Jiaxiang, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told a semiannual CAAC working meeting this month that the regulator plans to study new policies to promote low-cost carriers in the second half of the year, according to people there, who included airline executives.

Mr. Li also urged the nation's smaller airlines to look into the budget model, and established airlines to learn from successful low-cost airlines to improve management standards and operating efficiency, the people said.

Introducing policies to support budget-airline travel would reflect "a paradigm shift that could fundamentally alter the long-term industry landscape," said Davin Wu, an analyst at Credit Suisse. The CAAC didn't respond to several requests for comment.

In May, China signaled a loosening of its grip on civil aviation by lifting a six-year ban on setting up new independent airlines.

For years, the regulator's priority was boosting the main state-owned airlines, which dominate the domestic market but have been criticized for their inefficiency and poor service standards. To protect them, the government in 2007 stopped accepting applications for new airlines after briefly experimenting with liberalization in the middle of the last decade.

Industry executives say measures to help budget airlines could include creating terminals for them with lower landing and take-off fees, as well as offering tax incentives.

Mr. Wu at Credit Suisse said he expects only slow growth of the number of budget airlines, though, with policies rolled out gradually.

"An influx of new (low-cost carriers) competing aggressively with the existing state-owned carriers is unlikely to be the government's vision," he said. Demand for air travel in China has grown sharply as the nation's middle class has expanded, with the passenger count reaching 319 million last year, up 65% from the number in 2008.

The low-cost travel boom has altered the industry landscape in Asia, with budget carriers such as Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd.—the region's biggest—proliferating and growing much faster than full-service operators. Full-service carriers including Singapore Airlines Ltd., Japan's ANA Holdings Inc. and Qantas Airways Ltd. have set up their own discount offshoots.

China's aviation regulator has recently visited some of the world's most-successful budget carriers, said a person familiar with the situation. A spokesman for Spring Airlines Co., China's biggest low-cost carrier, said officials at CAAC's planning and financial departments visited in May and June to learn more about its budget model.

The nation's pioneer budget carrier, Spring Air sells a large proportion of its tickets via the Internet, bypassing the third-party reservations agents widely used by established state-owned carriers.

Other Chinese privately-owned airlines are also seeking to tap the booming budget-carrier market. 

Chongqing-based West Air Co., sister company of Hainan Airlines Co., is in the process of transforming itself into a budget carrier.

The nation's state-owned carriers are also seriously studying the low-cost carrier model, say executives. "Growth of budget services could be explosive in China because of the nation's low penetration rate but rapidly rising air-travel demand," said an executive at a state-run airline, who declined to be named.

The executive added, though, that there remain many challenges: "The lack of budget terminals, congested airspace leading to flight delays, as well as rising labor costs are all unfavorable factors to a model that operates on low costs and quick flight turnaround times."

Chinese flag carrier Air China Ltd. said it is aware of the CAAC's directives on low-cost carriers, according to company secretary Rao Xinyu.

"We're monitoring the development of low-cost carriers, but the carrier has no current plans to set up one," said Ms. Rao.

In Paris, Chinese Shopping-Tour Buses Go Out of Fashion

For her recent vacation in Switzerland, Wu Mengbei shunned the whirlwind bus tour of luxury stores many Chinese tourists take in Europe.

The Shanghai resident booked her trip independently and chose to spend more on other activities, such as sightseeing and dining. "On my first couple of trips to Europe I did a lot of shopping, but it's not so much a priority now," says Ms. Wu, a bank marketing manager in her thirties.

Ms. Wu's choice highlights a growing challenge for Europe's luxury-goods brands: More and more Chinese vacationers are turning away from tour-bus travel and frantic shopping trips, instead opting to upgrade their overall holiday experience by spending more on other things.

By 2020, purchases by such individual Chinese tourists abroad—on travel, food, accommodation, entertainment and shopping—will overtake that of tour groups, which currently dominate spending, according to data from the Boston Consulting Group.

The shift is contributing to a slowing rate of luxury spending overseas, say market watchers. Overall spending in Europe by Chinese shoppers rose 18% in the first quarter from a year earlier, a sharp deceleration in growth from the 45% jump the previous year and the 69% spike in the first quarter of 2012, according to data collected by tax-refund service Global Blue.

This slowdown partly stems from the fact that many tourists are no longer on their first trips abroad and are looking for fresh experiences beyond shopping. But the move away from organized bus tours also is playing a role.

"Lots of brands think that they have great business with Chinese tourists, but what they may find is that they have great business with tour guides," says Manelik Sfez, head of corporate marketing for Global Blue.

Chinese nationals are set to remain an explosive force in global tourism. And while individual tourists aren't expected to turn their backs on luxury shopping, they are likely to be more difficult to target than larger groups who hit the luxury stores as part of their tours.

Attracting independent travelers is different than working with tour groups, says Christine Lu, co-founder and chief executive of Affinity China, a New York-based marketing and travel company that focuses on upscale Chinese shoppers. "It takes more than putting a Mandarin speaker in the store," she says.

Travelers on organized tours have led a Chinese tourist boom in recent years, which propelled China's spending on outbound travel to $102 billion last year, a 40% jump from 2011. The surge sent China screaming past Germany and the U.S.—the former No. 1 and No. 2 spenders, respectively—according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

The flood of Chinese tourists to high-end stores in Paris and elsewhere in Europe reshaped how luxury brands operate, helping to offset the impact of the recession in the euro zone. Many purveyors of designer handbags, shoes and other apparel opened shops in department stores like Printemps and Galeries Lafayettes in Paris because Chinese tourists go there for one-stop shopping.

Printemps built duty-free counters specifically for Chinese visitors and hired Chinese-speaking floor staff. Galeries Lafayette advertises its Paris store thousands of miles away in China, forging its place on a European itinerary. Both stores pay commission to tour guides as an incentive to bring in Chinese tourists, according to people familiar with the matter.

Now, cracks are appearing in the tour-bus boom. Independent travelers still make up a minority of long-haul Chinese holiday makers, but growth in the segment is outpacing that of bus-tour-style group travel, as China's more affluent classes flourish and middle-class travelers make their way back to Europe solo.

The proportion of spending by first- or second-time travelers who rely on tour operators is expected to fall to 42% by the end of the decade from an estimated 56% in 2010, according to Boston Consulting Group.

Even those still traveling in groups are looking for a more tailored experience, says Conor Yang, chief financial officer of online Chinese travel agency Tuniu, which offers tours that include smaller guided visits and standard larger bus trips. His site has seen more demand for packages that include things like vineyard trips rather than just shopping.

"Most of these tourists have already bought the handbags and other luxuries by now," said Mr. Yang. "They want more."

On his first trip to Paris recently, Zhang Zheng Guo, a 67-year-old from Shanghai, said he had been brought to Printemps to shop along with the rest of his tour. But he said he would prefer to be visiting museums. "This is not how I personally would have chosen to spend the time," said Mr. Zhang.

Designer labels play down the effects of the trend.

"The [luxury] houses are used to giving a very personalized service," said Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes, who heads an association representing brands including Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent. 

"It's not a question of specific preparation for the Chinese."

Printemps, which makes around 10% of its annual revenue from Chinese visitors at its flagship Parisian store, is working on building customer loyalty among this group. About a year ago, it extended its existing mystery shopper program to include undercover "clients" speaking Chinese and a number of other languages.

"It's up to us to know how to tap into this clientele and meet their expectations," said store manager Pierre Pelarrey.

Source: Wall Street Journal by Nadya Masidlover and Laurie Burkitt

Southern star- Nanjing

Nanjing, located downstream of the Yangtze River, has an important place in Chinese history and culture. Emperors discovered its advantages early and it became known as the "Capital of Six Dynasties".

The "southern capital" has built on its historical importance. It continues to thrive as the capital of Jiangsu province and as a bustling commercial hub in the country's rich coastal areas.

Modern highways and railways connect Nanjing to most major cities throughout the country.

Nanjing is only a 73-minute bullet train ride from Shanghai, making it an accessible destination for people who want a weekend away from the financial hub.

Rich historical and cultural architecture such as ancient temples and royal gardens complement natural scenic spots to help this city retain its timeless charm.

Here are some places worth visiting:

1. Qinhuai River

This 10-kilometer-long waterway is a branch of the mighty Yangtze River. It flows slowly and is regarded as the mother river of Nanjing, helping to nurture the rich civilization of the region.

Charming boats, adorned with traditional lanterns, offer river cruises as a nod to its romantic past. The river has been the backdrop for many Chinese novels and TV dramas.

Souvenir shops, restaurants and bars help liven up the flourishing riverside.

2. Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple, or fuzimiao in Chinese, is a must-see in Nanjing.

It was first built in the year 1034, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and was expanded in the following dynasties. The temple was built to consecrate and worship the great Chinese philosopher.

This is not only a place to discover more about the sage but also an ideal spot to enjoy the teahouses, cafes and restaurants in buildings that boast the architectural style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Next to the Confucius Temple is the Jiangnan Examination School, where travelers can look at how ancient Chinese governments chose their officials.

3. Xuanwu Lake

This lake is considered the largest green spot in Nanjing and remains a favorite with locals because of its convenient location and scenery.

The area is in Nanjing's downtown area. Admission is free and visitors can reach it from the Xuanwumen Station on Line 1 of the subway.

The lake was also used by many dynasties as an imperial navy training zone.

Medium-sized islands boasting their own unique "micro-scenery" dot Xuanwu. The tree-lined causeways and bridges connect the islands, and this network of roads is perfect for a bike ride or a stroll.

Fishing and boating are some of the leisure activities in this area and paddle boats are available for rent. A nearby amusement park and zoo offer more entertainment possibilities.

4. Purple Mountain

This mountain offers a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Nanjing. It is known as the "lung of
Nanjing" because of its massive forest generating fresh and cool air.

It is nearly an hour's ascent to Purple Mountain Observatory at the peak.

More than 200 heritage and scenic spots have been marked out in or around the mountain.

Eating and drinking

Duck-blood soup is a must-try for first-time visitors. The soup's challenging name belies its popularity and taste. It can be found in stalls lining the food street at the Confucius Temple.

The Nanjing 1912 restaurant and bar area is another entertainment hub worth checking out. It is probably the city's most vibrant spot after 10 pm.

Located near the Presidential Palace, the bars and eateries are housed in buildings designed in the same style as the government offices used by Sun Yat-sen.

Source: China Daily

Ultimate guide to Chinese dumplings

Rice is nice, noodles are great, but if an online poll were to solicit votes for China's most rational national food, dumplings would come out way ahead.

Dumplings great and small enjoy unique names, traditions and areas where they're scarfed by the bucket-load.

Here's a thoughtfully chosen buffet of the most iconic dumplings China has to offer.

Shui jiao (水饺)

Shui jiao, or boiled dumpling, is a staple food, especially in northern China.

During Lunar New Year, families in the north turn into super-efficient dumpling production lines -- granny rolls out the dumpling skin, mom mixes minced pork and vegetables for the filling, and the rest of the family pinching dumplings into crescent-like shapes.

Zealous cooks will hide a lucky coin inside a dumpling for a fortunate eater to find.

Laobian Jiaozi Guan (老边饺子馆) in Shenyang has specialized in making shui jiao for more than 150 years. Fish shui jiao is the regional specialty.

Laobian Jiaozi Gun, 208 Zhong Jie Lu, across from Rose Hotel, Shenyang 沈阳市中街路208号, 玫瑰大酒店对面; +86 24 2486 5369; open daily, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Tang tuan or yuan xiao (汤团或元宵)

Tang tuans are round, gooey soup dumplings made by enclosing a sweet or savory filling in a glutinous rice flour ball.

Popular fillings include sesame paste, powdered peanuts and sugar for sweet tang tuan, or pork with green onion for the savory kind.

Tang tuans are eaten during the Lantern Festival, the last day of Lunar New Year celebrations. Their shape emphasizes a unified family.

The tang tuan shops in the Qibao Old Town boil some of the most traditional round dumplings.

Old Street Tang Tuan shops (老街汤团), 14 and 26 Qi Bao Lao Jie Nan Da Jie 七宝老街南大街14号和26号; +86 21 6459 2917; open daily 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Xiaolongbao (小笼包)

Cubes of meat aspic (gelatinized broth) and pork filling are carefully hand-pleated into thin Xiaolongbao wrappers and steamed.

Within that dumpling skin is a bomb of rich soup and a filling of tender pork, or pork with hairy crab meat and roe.

The fame of xiaolongbao is such that you can find the name slapped onto dubious menus throughout China.

Even in the city of its origin (xiaolongbao were invented in Nanxiang, a suburb of Shanghai), there are many takes.

Spend the day eating the various incarnations and find out your favorite or hit these xiaolongbao eateries that serve the best of those soupy pockets in Shanghai.

Zheng jiao (蒸饺)

Zheng jiaos are usually filled with a combination of minced meat and vegetables, and steamed to doneness in a bamboo round to retain the fresh flavors of the ingredients.

There are many variations -- har gow is one that's gained its own celebrity.

Zheng Jiao is often more delicate than their boiled and pan-fried counterparts.

Another well-known variety comes from Shaxian in Fujian Province. They are filled with pork or beef and hand-pleated to look like little mice.

Find these specialty zhen jiao at Shaxian Xiao Chi (沙县小吃), one of the biggest restaurant chains in China. They are everywhere, just look around the corner.

Hun tun (馄饨)

Hun tun, aka wonton, can be served dozens of different ways.

There are two classic types: carefully folded large wonton filled with bokchoy or wild watercress and minced pork, and “xiao wonton,” tiny dumplings floating in a fresh cilantro and sesame oil broth.

The Cantonese rendition features plump segments of shrimp in the filling and a side of egg noodles in the soup.

Sichuan cuisine offers chao shou (抄手) -- poached wontons drizzled in toasty chili oil, pepper corns, and green onion. The best is at Chen Ma Po Sichuan Restaurant (陈麻婆川菜馆) in Chengdu.

Chen Ma Po Sichuan Restaurant, Room 10-12, 10 Qinghua Lu, Chengdu 成都市青华路10号附10-12号; +86 028 87317216; 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; http://www.chenmapo.com/

Har gow (虾饺)

Translucent har gow filled with chubby shrimp are the darlings of the dim sum cart.

For many, this pretty pink crescent is the gateway to a lifelong obsession with Chinese dumplings.

A top-notch har gow wrapping should be just thick enough to wedge between chopsticks without breakage -- never chewy or too sticky.

Dab them in red vinegar to bring out the flavors.

The best shrimp dumplings are in Guangdong Province, where they were first invented, or Hong Kong, where sub-par har gow aren’t tolerated. Luk Yu Teahouse in Central serves the best.

Luk Yu Teahouse, G/F-3/F, 24 Stanley St.; open daily, 7 am-10 pm; +852 2523 5464; dim sum is available until 4 p.m.

Sheng jian (生煎)

The image of sheng jian is often associated with the cook at a breakfast stall taking a heavy wooden lid off of a giant black pan.

Inside, there are rows and rows of sesame and green onion studded dumplings, their bottoms searing to crispness.

Sheng jian is a Shanghainese breakfast dumpling that is fried to crustiness on the bottom, steamed to perfection on top, and eaten with vinegar.

Once you bite into the soft, mantou-like skin, there’s a meatball of seasoned pork and a flood of broth.
Xiao Yang Sheng Jian is one of the most popular in Shanghai.

Xiao Yang Sheng Jian (小杨生煎), 2/F, 269 Wujiang Lu, near Taixing Lu吴江路269号2楼, 近泰兴路; +86 21 61361391; open daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

Guo tie (锅贴)

Potstickers, or guo tie, are the crusty, thicker-skinned cousins of the shui jiao.

These ingot-shaped dumplings are pan-fried for a crispy bottom and steamed to doneness on top. Each one is a two-fold texture experience.

They are usually made with a pork-based filling with bokchoy, leeks or cabbage.

Overseas Dragon (四海游龙) is a chained restaurant specialized in potstickers. The guo ties at Shanghainese restaurant Xiao Nan Guo (小南国) are juicy and are an ideal comfort food.

Overseas Dragon (Huaihai Dong Lu chain), 70 Huaihai Dong Lu, near Yunnan Nan Lu, Shanghai 上海市淮海东路70号, 近云南南路; open daily 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Xiao Nan Guo, 4/F, 9 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu, Shanghai 上海市东湖路9号4楼, 近淮海中路; +86 400 820 9777; open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Momo (馍馍)

Topping off the list of Tibetan comfort foods, momo are larger, hearty dumplings that exist somewhere between a jiao zi and a samosa.

The combinations of filling are many and always spiced. Potato and minced vegetables, and ground chicken, yak, and beef flavored with ginger, coriander and garlic are popular variations.

Momo can be round or crescent-shaped. Usually they are steamed or fried, and served with a fiery homemade chili sauce (sepen) and a bowl of soothing broth.

The real deal can be found at the Snow Deity Palace Tibetan Restaurant in Lhasa.

Snow Deity Palace Tibetan Restaurant, 4 Zanyiyuan Road, west of the Potala Palace Plaza, Lhasa 拉萨市藏医院路4号, 布达拉宫西面; +86 891 633 7323; Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

Shao mai (烧卖)

Originating from Inner Mongolia, these are money bag-shaped dumplings which gush steam from the fillings exposed on top.

In the southern Yangtze River region, the hefty shao mai are made with glutinous rice, pork, mushrooms.

There is also a smaller but visually stunning version called fei cui shao mai. Its wrappers resemble pieces of jade and are clear on top and deep green in color on the bottom.

Our favorite shao mai come from Duyichu Shaomai (都一处烧卖) in Beijing, a specialty restaurant patronized by the Emperor Qianlong himself in the 1750s.

These dumplings have frilly, paper-thin flour wrappers enclosing a range of fillings that vary with the seasons.

Duyichu Shaomai, 38 Qianmen Da Jie, Beijing 北京市前门大街38号; +86 10 6702 1555, +86 10 6702 1671; open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Manti (新疆薄皮包子)

Manti is the most underappreciated dumpling on this list, but the Xinjiang-style mutton dumplings are absolutely delectable and deserving of much more attention.

They are straightforward, deeply satisfying and always have that essential taste of home.

The best manti come from some road-side shack in Xinjiang but we have never tasted bad mantis from any Uyghur establishment.

Check out Tiyuguan Lu (体育馆路) in downtown Urumqi for a variety of Muslim restaurants and roadside eateries.

Source: CNNGo By Joanne Yao

Chinese airlines buck global downturn

Faced with the global aviation industry downturn, Chinese airlines are being forced to compete among themselves in increasingly innovative ways.

In Western Europe and North America, many airlines have recently reported worse-than-expected losses.

In China, the country's international carrier Air China saw its profits fall 38 percent last year.

However, two other large airlines － China Eastern and China Southern, in which the State holds controlling stakes － still managed to expand using innovative strategies.

China Southern Airlines, which claims to be the largest airline by passenger capacities in Asia and the fifth-largest in the world, is leveraging its extensive domestic service network and its transit hub in Guangzhou, to provide customers with a convenient connection between international and domestic services.

At a time when most developed economies are suffering from a lingering crisis, more Chinese people are traveling abroad for tourism and business.

"Now is a good time for our business to go abroad," said Si Xianmin, China Southern's chairman, in an interview with China Daily.

After launching six international service routes last year, China Southern started direct flights from Guangzhou to London in June, connecting wealthy travelers from China's southern provinces with European destinations.

"We're aiming to increase international routes to 30 percent of our company's total routes this year, up from 27 percent last year," Si said.

Compared with other major Chinese airlines, China Southern's advantage is its mature domestic network, Si said. It now operates around 200 domestic routes, more than the other two major State-owned airlines, Air China and China Eastern.

Thanks to its comprehensive domestic network, China Southern can attract more passengers from the second and third-tier cities, where other airlines have no direct flights, Si added.

As a result, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport — China Southern's home base — has become one of the country's major transit hubs. In 2011, it was China's second-busiest airport and the world's 19th busiest in terms of passenger traffic, with more than 45 million passengers handled.

The company forecasts a soaring passenger load factor, a measure of the utilization of the total capacity of its planes, on international flights, Si said.

In 2010, when China Southern launched its route to Australia, it saw its passenger numbers increase by 97 percent in a year, with its passenger load factor rising from 54 percent to 78 percent, enabling the company's total international revenue to surge 48 percent year-on-year.

China's air travel market is around 300 million passengers a year, and the figure is expected to grow to 450 million in three years.

Meanwhile, the strategy of Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines is to seek growth through international cooperation.

The airline is working with Australia's Qantas to launch Hong Kong's first budget airline.

Jetstar Hong Kong will be a $198 million joint venture in which Qantas and China Eastern will hold equal stakes. It plans to start flying next year.

Liu Shaoyong, China Eastern's chairman, said the Qantas JV is a key step in the company's globalization.

However, it is still too early to tell whether China Eastern will succeed in this part of the world, where the concept of budget travel is still new.

Source: By Bao Chang (China Daily)

Scenery of Jueshan Temple in Lingqiu county, Shanxi province

Photo taken on July 20, 2012 shows an old pagoda of Jueshan Temple in Lingqiu county,Shanxi province. Jueshan Temple, also known as Puzhao Temple with an area of 8,100 square meters, was built in the fifth century. The thirteen-tier Jueshan Temple Pagoda, a masterpiece of classical architecture, is the landmark of the temple.



Photo taken on July 20, 2012 shows exquisite frescos in Jueshan Temple in Lingqiu county, Shanxi province. Jueshan Temple, also known as Puzhao Temple with an area of 8,100 square meters, was built in the fifth century. The thirteen-tier Jueshan Temple Pagoda, a masterpiece of classical architecture, is the landmark of the temple.

Tourists visit Jueshan Temple at the hillside of Jueshan Mountain in Lingqiu county, Shanxi province, July 20, 2012. Jueshan Temple, also known as Puzhao Temple with an area of 8,100 square meters, was built in the fifth century. The thirteen-tier Jueshan Temple Pagoda, a masterpiece of classical architecture, is the landmark of the temple.

Photo taken on July 20, 2012 shows a gate decorated with carved bricks of Jueshan Temple in Lingqiu county, Shanxi province. Jueshan Temple, also known as Puzhao Temple with an area of 8,100 square meters, was built in the fifth century. The thirteen-tier Jueshan Temple Pagoda, a masterpiece of classical architecture, is the landmark of the temple. (Source: Xinhua)

China's Spring Air to Be First Budget Carrier on China-Taiwan Route

SHANGHAI—China's Spring Airlines Co. is set to become the first budget carrier to operate flights between China and Taiwan, an increasingly congested but highly lucrative market thanks to booming tourism demand from mainland Chinese.

Spring Air, the nation's biggest low-cost carrier, will begin flights between Shanghai and the southern Taiwanese port city of Kaohsiung in August, with Shanghai-Taipei service starting before the end of this year, Chairman Wang Zhenghua told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

"Taiwan is a key tourist market for Chinese travelers these days, so I believe the new routes will be become profitable for us soon," said Mr. Wang.

He said it took five years to get clearance for the flights from authorities, underscoring the difficulties competing with the nation's established state-run carriers on major, high-profile routes.

China's three state-owned airlines and their affiliates dominate the nation's skies, posing huge challenges for upstart private carriers trying to break into the domestic market. But Spring Air, which was launched by 69-year old Mr. Wang in 2005, has stuck firmly with a low-cost structure that allows it to charge fares 30% below those of competitors and remain profitable.

Spring Air's rapid growth was also helped by its ties with Mr. Wang's Spring Travel, one of China's biggest travel agencies. "Our advantage is that we can leverage Spring Travel's tour groups to occupy two-thirds of the available seats on our flights, with the remaining targeting individuals and business travelers," Mr. Wang said.

The Shanghai-based airline was a pioneer in China for selling seats to individual customers through the Internet, bypassing third-party agents and in turn reducing costs.

Spring Air, which recently gained international attention for its plans to hire older female flight attendants and calling them 'flight aunties,' flies to destinations outside mainland China, mainly to cities in Japan and Hong
Kong. The lucrative China-Taiwan market, however, was out of reach, until now.

Chinese visitors to Taiwan have surged as relations between the neighbors warmed, helped in large part by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's policy of opening parts of the island's economy to China.

Direct flights resumed in 2008, and today about 10 Chinese and three Taiwanese carriers operate some 600 weekly flights between Taiwan and China. Still, demand continues to outstrip supply, said analysts. Chinese visitors to Taiwan jumped to 2.6 million last year from 1.8 million in 2011, after Taiwan began allowing entry to individual Chinese and not just tour groups.

Spring Air is seeking to aggressively expand its network and fleet to drive revenue growth, particularly as plans for an initial public offering remain on hold. Mr. Wang said Tuesday there is still a plan for a Shanghai IPO, but there is no timetable because of market conditions. He previously said the public offering would aim to raise more than one billion yuan ($160.6 million).

Mr. Wang said he remains confident in China's no-frills airline segment because of the potential that Chinese people will fly much more.

"Passengers in developed markets like the U.S. travel 2.5 times a year on average, while the ratio in China is just 0.3 times. The growth potential is tremendous," he said.

He expects the airline to carry 11 million passengers this year, up 13% from the 9.7 million passengers in 2012.

Spring Air earlier set an ambitious growth target of having 100 aircraft by 2015, but has had to lower its growth projections in light of tighter controls by regulators on airline expansion plans.

The airline now flies to more than 50 cities. It has a fleet of 37 Airbus A320 jets, with four more planes on order, and Mr. Wang said he expects the airline to take delivery of around six to eight new planes annually for the next few years.

Source: Wall Street Journal by Joanne Chiu

Top water towns in China

Nanxun- Located 30 kilometers (18.64 miles) East of Huzhou, Zhejiang province, the Ancient Town of Nanxun is a well-known for its rich cultural heritage, boasting a history that dates back 760 years. It was founded in 1252, towards the the end of Emperor Chunyou's reign in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). As one of the most well-preserved old towns in the region, Nanxun Ancient Town is now among the top six ancient towns situated in Southern China.


Anchang- As one of the four noted towns in Shaoxing, Anchang borders Xiaoshan Mountain in Hangzhou, the Keqiao Bridge in the south and the Hangzhou-Ningbo expressway in the north. Established during the Northern Song Dynasty, it was rebuilt during the Ming and Qing Dynasties after several wars and disasters, inheriting the typical features of a water town in regions south of the Yangtze River. With a simple and elegant atmosphere, the waterside town holds wedding ceremonies on the water, a custom unique to the area. A festival featuring its folk customs is held each year, and always receives a large number of tourists.

Mudu- Located at the foot of Lingyanshan Mountain, in the western suburbs of Suzhou, Mudu has a layout distinct from other ancient towns. Ranking in the top 13 scenic spots in Taihu Lake, it is also the only town boasting classical Chinese gardens. Among over 30 private gardens built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Yanjia Garden, Hongyinshan Mansion, Lingyanshan Residence, Gusong Garden and Bangyan Mansion have been restored with Yanjia Garden, the former residence of Yanjiajin, a political figure in Taiwan, and Hongyinshan Mansion which is in possession of the valuable 20 imperial edicts of the Qing Dynasty. It is a wonderful place for modern people to relax and enjoy its rich cultural heritage, elegant environment and historical legends.

Zhouzhuang- Zhouzhuang, a famous water town in Southern China, is located in Kunshan city, Jiangsu province. Because Zhouzhuang is surrounded by water, boats were necessary for entering and departing from Zhouzhuang before the 1980s. Before the Jishuigang Bridge was built in May 1989, land transportation was not available. Due to an undeveloped transportation network, the ancient culture and historical sites of Zhouzhuang were well-preserved after more than 900 years. This beautiful small town has become the model of China's water towns.

Xitang- Located in Jiashan county, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, Xitang is about 100 km from Shanghai. The small cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou and can be reached either by train on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway or by bus along the 320 national highway. Known as an ancient town with a history spanning over 1,000 years, Xitang was a place shared by the Wu and Yue states as early as the Warring States period. Setting it apart from other water towns, it has roofed streets alongside rivers with a total length of 1,000 meters, much like the Summer Palace corridor.

Tongli- Tongli is seated alongside Taihu Lake, Wujiang, Jiangsu province, with a history spanning over 1,000 years since it was first established during the Song Dynasty. The town features over 100 sites that include gardens, temples, mansions and former famous residences, with 7 small islands separated by 15 brooks in the shape of “Chuan(川)” and connected by 49 ancient bridges. Honored as the “Venice of the East,” it is renowned for its “Bridge, Water and People,” featuring a rich natural and cultural atmosphere.

Wuzhen- Located in the north of Tongxiang, Zhejiang province, Wuzhen is adjacent to the Nanxun district in Huzhou in the east and Wujiang, Jiangsu province in the north. Praised as one of the top four famous towns in regions south of the Yangtze River, Wuzhen has been honored as “The Land of Plenty” and “House of Silk” with a history dating back to over 6,000 years and had the former names of Wudun and Qingdun. It was listed as a provincial-level historical and cultural city in 1991 and a AAAA scenic spot in 1999 when its protection and tourism development project was launched.

Ziaozhi- A distance of 18km from the Suzhou districts in the west and 58km from Shanghai in the east, Jiaozhi is a well-preserved water town in the Taihu Lake Basin. With a flat terrain and fertile land beside river networks, it serves as a typical water town in regions south of the Yangtze River benefiting from 5 lakes and 6 rivers. Its history spans over 2,500 years, creating rich cultural contents and numerous historical sites with a palace built by Yanlv, a king of the State of Wu and Wutong Garden by Fuchai, another king of the state.

Guangfu- As a peninsula inserted inside Taihu Lake, Guangfu is renowned for its place as a historical and cultural town in Jiangsu province. It boasts ubiquitous scenic spots of historical and cultural significance as well as picturesque natural landscapes that have won much praise. Guangfu, with its long history and rich cultural content mixed with mysterious legends, is an attractive and fascinating destination.

Zhujiajiao- Zhujiajiao is a township in the Qingpu District of Shanghai.Established 1,700 years ago, Zhujiajiao was an important trading hub for the surrounding countryside, many of the architectures date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Traditionally, goods and people were ferried on the small canals from house to house, passing under the 36 ancient stone bridges that are all still in use by locals and tourists alike.

Source: China Daily

Profits plunged in H1, say China's 'Big Three' airlines

China's three major airlines have all reported more than a 50% drop in the profit forecast in the first six months this year but earnings are expected to recover in the second half of the year, market analysts said Thursday.

Air China, the country's flagship carrier, on Wednesday said it predicted first-half profits to have fallen more than 50% from a year earlier. In the first half of 2011, Air China reported a net profit of 4.063 billion yuan (US$645 million). The company blamed weak travel demand, high fuel prices, and fluctuation in foreign exchanges for the loss.

Earlier this month, both China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines estimated their first-half profits to also be down more than 50% compared to last year.

Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines reaped net profit of 2.45 billion yuan (US$384 million) in the first half of 2011.

But market analysts say they expect the earnings to recover in the coming months especially during the summer travel peak season. Fuel prices, meanwhile, are also in the decline, helping airlines to cut operation costs.

UBS Securities analysts said both China Eastern and China Southern can expect domestic travelers to grow by 8% year on year in July while Air China can also expect a 7% rise of domestic travelers from a year earlier.

Profits of the "Big Three" airlines are expected to stabilize or start to grow in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, the analysts added.

Liu Shaoyong, chairman of China Eastern, earlier said he also expected the company's earning to grow in the second half. "For the whole year, China Eastern will not be in the red, but profit margins might shrink from a year earlier," Liu said. "The situation is not supposed to deteriorate to the 2008 levels."

Source: Xinhua via Want China Times

Small airports to ride construction boom

China plans to build more feeder airports, although many small airports continue to lose money, according to the aviation authorities.

Li Jiaxiang, head of Civil Aviation Administration of China, told a news conference on Friday that a guideline on the industry, issued by the State Council this month, has highlighted civil aviation as "a national strategic industry".

According to the guideline, China will build 82 new airports during the 2011-15 period, and construct a national air transport network that will cover 89 percent of the total population by 2020.

Recent reports suggested that about 130 airports in China registered a total loss of more than 2 billion yuan ($314 million) last year, and some have suggested that no more should be built as losses continue.

But Li disagrees, saying the role of small airports is indispensable to local economic development. Feeder airports mainly serve cargo planes and smaller flights.

According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Finance, investment in an airport can produce an output eight times of that amount for a local economy.

Li cited Mohe, the northernmost county in China, as an example.

The county — popular with tourists who travel there particularly to see the famous natural light display in the sky, the aurora borealis, or northern lights — was difficult to reach for many tourists until an airport was opened to traffic in 2008, he said.

The airport, with fewer than 60 employees and annual operating costs of 20 million yuan, has also become an important link for local business traffic as well as tourists.

Li cited local government officials as saying that the airport was the reason the county gained more than 300 million yuan of annual income.
Airport: Demand for flights soars in China

Huang Min, director of the infrastructure department under the National Development and Reform Commission, said that the social benefits of local airports cannot be counted on an airport's financial profit and loss account.

"Most of the new airports to be built are feeder airports in central and western regions as well as in remote areas," Huang said.

He added that by the end of 2015, there will be 230 airports for passenger and cargo transport open to traffic, up from the current 182.

And, 80 percent of China's population will be able to use an airport within 100 kilometers by then, he said.
China lags behind many other major countries in terms of the total number of airports.

The United States, for example, has about 19,000 airports, while Brazil has about 700.

Another problem is that many airports built years ago are now deemed too small, he said, and plans are in place to expand and rebuild 101 airports from 2011 to 2015 to meet the soaring demand.

China's civil aviation industry has been developing at an average double-digit growth over the past three decades. It is now the world's second-biggest air transport network, according to Li.

Last year, a fleet of 1,853 planes carried 290 million passengers and 5.52 million metric tons of cargo.

Source: By Xin Dingding (China Daily)

Chinese travelers seek experience, not treadmill tourism

The stereotypical image of Chinese tourists abroad is of large tour groups following a guide with a red flag through sightseeing spots and shopping malls.

But all that could be about to change, as the country's leading travel agencies attempt to replace traditional tour packages with high-end experiences.

On Monday, China Travel Service, a big player in the travel industry, announced it will cooperate with vacation resorts in South Korea to provide packages that appeal to well-off families, eco-golfers and winter sports enthusiasts.

"Getting in and out of a tour bus at tourist spots and being in a rush is no longer working with outbound tourists," said Zhang Ping, president of CTS. "We have to move upstream in quality and create tourism products tailored to the demands of individuals and that give people more freedom for unique experiences."

The company says its cooperation with South Korea's GB Networks, an agency that provides travel services to 14 resorts, will give Chinese tourists access to large-scale ski resorts, golf courses, water parks, hotels and convention centers.

Jin Chengxiu, director of the CTS' branch in Seoul, said it was the first time a Chinese travel agency has attempted to tap into the South Korean resort market, which currently attracts a large number of Korean and international tourists, but few Chinese.

"Most resorts are in northern Gangwon Province, which has a smooth, sandy coastline and is known as the epicenter of winter sports in Korea," he said. "Chinese tourists, especially those traveling with their families or for business conventions, can spend several days and nights in one place relaxing."

The province is also the site of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, and authorities expect to draw 10,000 tourists from China each year in the lead-up to the event.

According to Zhang, Chinese tour agencies are making bold attempts to offer a variety of high-end tourism packages to cater for a booming market demand.

"Some remote but captivating destinations that were believed to be too expensive for Chinese tourists are becoming more popular," said Zhang, adding that the agency has organized trips to Seychelles in the Indian Ocean with chartered flights this year. "Because the number of Chinese outbound tourists is increasing, the prices of hotels and airline tickets are getting lower, which can cut the price for outbound travel.

"Amid the economic downturn, people are more likely to spend money on tourism to relieve stress. The industry is now also promoted by the Chinese government as a way to stimulate consumption."

According to the National Tourism Administration, 38 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas in the first half of this year, up 18 percent from the same period last year.

After Japan, China is South Korea's second largest source of inbound tourists. A new visa policy will come into effect next month, loosening restrictions on Chinese tourists in a bid to promote tourism.

Source: By Tan Zongyang (China Daily)

Nanchang, Jiangxi province

Despite its reputation as a cradle of Chinese revolution, Nanchang, the capital of East China's Jiangxi province, did not benefit much from its illustrious past. The Nanchang Uprising on Aug 1, 1927, which marked the birth of the People's Liberation Army, sealed the city as a heavyweight of wartime China.

But in modern China, Nanchang, compared to the more prosperous coastal cities, has been left behind during the country's swift economic growth. This was until late June, when the central government issued a document offering preferential policies to boost the development of old revolutionary bases in Jiangxi.

The long-awaited incentives target cities in south Jiangxi, but as the capital of the province, Nanchang with a population of 5.04 million, is destined to become the regional economic powerhouse and shoulder more responsibility for the further development of the area.

Business aside, Nanchang is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites. The Ganjiang River passes through the city from south to north and the whole city is dotted with rivers and lakes. Its outskirts are surrounded by green mountains, and the stunning views of the city have inspired many talented poets since ancient times.

Visitors will still be able to get their fair share of beautiful scenery, history and culture on short or weekend trips to the city. Here are a few attractions to start with:

1. Tengwang Pavilion

Located on the shore of the Ganjiang River, Tengwang Pavilion is one of the three most notable pavilions in the southern, lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The others are Wuhan's Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei province and Yueyang Pavilion in Hunan province.

Tengwang Pavilion rose to fame mainly due to a classic piece by Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) poet Wang Bo, who finished Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng after encountering a grand banquet held there.

Standing 57.5 meters tall at nine stories, the pavilion is named after Li Yuanying, the younger brother of Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong, 1,300 years ago.

The original Tang Dynasty pavilion was rebuilt 20 years after its completion and has been rebuilt 29 times over the course of its history. A theater within the modern pavilion, which was rebuilt between 1985 and 1989, stages musical performances. There is also a museum at a side entrance, where it is possible to see how the tower looked like during other eras.

2. Star of Nanchang (Ferris wheel)

Just like the London Eye, which stands 135 meters high on the south bank of the Thames, Nanchang also has its own giant wheel that offers breathtaking views on a single ride.

The Star of Nanchang, standing 160 meters tall, became one of the world's highest Ferris wheels after being put into operation in 2006. Located at the west side of the Ganjiang River, the Star of Nanchang has become an icon of the city. The wheel cost about 57 million yuan ($8.94 million, 7.28 million euros) to build.

It has 60 enclosed air-conditioned gondolas, each carrying up to eight passengers, with a maximum capacity of 480 passengers. A single rotation takes about 30 minutes.

3. Jiangxi Provincial Museum

This museum, located 100 meters away from the Tengwang Pavilion, is a good place to understand the past of Jiangxi province. The museum is split into three buildings with three different themes: Jiangxi ancient civilization, Jiangxi revolutionary relics and the province's ancient ceramics.

The 13,000-square-meter museum boasts a collection of 34,000 items, ranging from ceramics to gold vessels, silverware, bronze, jade and ancient painting and calligraphy. The displays of the vast legacies of
Chinese pottery stand out because of their relation to key kilns such as Porcelain Capital, Jingdezhen. There is also a good summary of the advanced technologies used.

4. Lushan National Park

Lushan National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park, located in nearby Jiujiang city, offers stunning views ranging from spectacular peaks, lakes, cliffs and waterfalls to important Buddhist and Taoist temples.

Lushan is known as one of the finest summer resorts in China and was used as the location for a famous Chinese film, Romance on Lushan Mountain. The mountain consists of 99 peaks, with the tallest rising to nearly 1,500 meters. The high-speed rail from Nanchang to Lushan cuts the traveling time to 45 minutes.

Eating and drinking

Nanchang is famous for its spicy dishes. Nanchang rice noodles, dressed with ginger, garlic, capsicum and pepper, is a must-try among various local street dishes in the city. Traditional snacks such as roubingtang or steamed pork with eggs, and waguantang, a special soup cooked in pottery jars, are also available throughout the city.

Rather than beers and wines, the drinking culture in Nanchang is more about enjoying a cup of fine Chinese tea. The history of tea drinking and teahouses in Nanchang can be traced back more than 1,000 years.

There are about 20 modern teahouses in the city center. Gujin Chashi, located in No 129 Fuhe North Road, is suitable for first-time tea drinkers. Staff members have many years of experience serving Chinese tea.

Source: China Daily

Chinese Man Detonates Homemade Bomb at Beijing Airport

BEIJING (AP) — A man in a wheelchair who was airing grievances set off a homemade bomb in a crowded terminal at Beijing's main airport on Saturday evening, injuring himself but no one else, Chinese state media and witnesses said.

Order was quickly restored and no flights were affected by the explosion at the airport's main international terminal, state-run China Central Television said on its microblog.

The official Xinhua News Agency said a wheel-chaired Chinese man set off the device outside the arrivals exit of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport at around 6:24 p.m. It said the man was being treated for injuries, but that no one else was hurt in the explosion.

"The explosion sound was loud," said a witness who gave only his family name, Chen. He said he was only 25 meters (27 yards) away from the explosion when it occurred.

Chen said there was only one explosion, and that the terminal was crowded with people. "Since there was no second explosion, many people took out their phones and gathered near the explosion spot to take photos," he said.

He said police responded to the explosion immediately.

Another witness, who gave only his last name, Qing, said there was no one around the man when he set off the bomb.

"It sounded like the sound of big firecrackers," said Qing, who was about 60 meters (66 yards) away from the explosion. "We couldn't see really what happened afterward. There was a lot of smoke and the police arrived very fast."

CCTV identified the man in the wheelchair as Ji Zhongxing, born in 1979 and from the eastern province of Shandong.

It was not immediately clear why the man allegedly set off the bomb, but Xinhua said he was stopped from handing out leaflets airing his complaints before setting off the bomb. Xinhua, which cited an initial police investigation, did not say what his complaints were.

In an online blog entry from 2006, a writer who provides the same name, the same year of birth and the same hometown in Shandong province as Ji complained of his disabilities resulting from cruel beatings by security personnel in the southern province of Guangdong. He said he had been seeking justice and compensation, but to no avail.

"Because we are peasants and we are poor, no one is willing to help us," the author wrote in the entry, which was the latest one in the blog.

The blog, which was available immediately after the explosion, was removed within hours, and it was not possible to verify its authenticity.

Photos posted by CCTV on its microblog showed the area near the arrivals exit empty and filled with smoke. One photo showed medical staff and police officers gathering at one spot, with a wheelchair sitting on its side a few steps away.

Reached by phone, the airport's news office said it was not aware of the explosion, and airport police declined to answer questions.

Terminal 3, which opened in 2008 just ahead of the Beijing Olympics, is the airport's hub for international flights. United Airlines and American Airlines are among the carriers that operate out of the terminal.

United Airlines spokeswoman Karen May in Chicago said the explosion did not affect its operations. American Airlines could not be reached immediately for comment.

Source: Associated Press by Didi Tang

7 Days economy hotel chain sold

7 Days Group Holdings Ltd, China's second-largest economy hotel chain, announced Wednesday the closing of its privatization deal as it was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and purchased by a new hotel group, Plateno.

Plateno Hotels Group, funded by 7 Days Inn's major shareholders and two investment funds, Carlyle Group and Sequoia Capital China, will take over existing businesses and develop higher-level hotel operations.

7 Days Inn was founded in Guangzhou in 2005 and expanded rapidly. The economy hotel brand gained capital support from many investment companies and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2009. The group has 1,600 hotels in operation nationwide by the end of March, 2013.

The newly founded Plateno Hotels Group purchased 7 Days Group for $688 million. Besides 7 Days, Plateno announced it will launch three new hotel brands targeting the middle and high-end market.

The three new brands include high-end brand Portofino Hotel, middle-end brand Lavande Hotel and coffee culture themed-hotel brand JamesJoyce Coffete. The group also said that another hotel brand targeting trendsetters called Zmax Hotel will be launched later.

According to Co-chairman of Plateno Hotels Group Zheng Nanyan, He Boquan, Co-chairman of 7 Days Group, holds about 30 percent of shares in Plateno Hotels Group and Carlyle Group holds about 20 percent, and Sequoia Capital about 15 percent. Zheng has about 10 percent of shares in the new group.

Zheng said that if Plateno Hotels Group is listed in the future, it will choose Hong Kong, Chinese media reported. In recent years, customers have more requirements for hotels in addition to accommodation, according to Zheng.

Economy hotels face the challenge of development and have begun to seek opportunities in the middle and high-end hotel market. Some Chinese economy hotel chains like Home Inn and Jinjiang Inn have taken the strategy of multiple brands to explore the middle and high-end market. Plateno Hotels Group will open 300 middle and high-end hotels in five to ten years.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Plateno Hotels Group, 7 Days Group will still run the economy hotels. Zheng said that 7 Days Inn's expansion will be faster and it will have 2,000 chain hotels by 2014, and 7 Days will be the main source of income for Plateno Hotels Group.

Source: By Liu Xiaozhuo (chinadaily.com.cn)

Tibetan farmers enjoy Onkor festival

How do the farmers in the Tibet autonomous region prepare for harvest? They pray and have fun during the Onkor Festival that lasts for three to five days before the heavy work.

The specific dates of the festival, which is only second to the Tibetan spring festival for the farmers, vary from place to place depending on when the crops that are ready for harvest.

In Doilungdeqen county to the south of Lhasa, this year's three-day celebration started on Wednesday as the barley was ready for harvest.

"We've prepared for the festival for a week, feeding the horses good forage and preparing nice food for the family. Many friends and relatives also come during the festival," said 59-year-old Urgyen.

Onkor means "looking around the field" in Tibetan, which is why people put on ancient warrior's clothes, ride horses decked out in fancy colors and trot through the fields.

People also sing, dance, play drums and gongs and enjoy horseracing and contests.

Urgyen's grandson, Dondrup, 8, was one of youngest riders at the festival.

"I'm afraid he will be too busy to join the festival when he goes to college and starts working. Hopefully, he will always remember our traditions," Urgyen said.

The festival has a history of more than 1,500 years. To ensure a plentiful harvest, the then Tibetan king asked the hierarchy of the local Bon religion for guidance. Following the tenets of that faith, farmers walked around their fields, asking the heavens for a good harvest, which was the origin of the Onkor. It was later tinged with aspects of Buddhism.

Source: By Tang Yue and Li Zhou in Lhasa (China Daily)

Scenery of Xilingol, China's best preserved grassland

Photos taken on July 13, 2013 shows the view of local pasture in West Ujimqin Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The pasture is part of the Xilingol, China's best preserved grassland which covers an area of 202,580 square kilometers. (Xinhua/Ren Junchuan)

Tourists enjoy scenery of Xiangxi, Hunan

Tourists visit the Wangcun Waterfall in the Furong Town scenic spot in Xiangxi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central Hunan Province, July 10, 2012. The prefecture received 8.5089 million tourists in the first half of this year, a soar of 24.96 percent year on year. The toursim revenues in this period stood at 4.596 billion yuan (71.9 million US dollars), up 24.05 percent over the same period of last year.


Tourists enjoy scenery of the ancient town of Fenghuang in Fenghuang County of Xiangxi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture,  Hunan Province, July 11, 2012.


Tourists visit an ancient gate tower in the ancient town of Fenghuang in Fenghuang County of Xiangxi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central Hunan Province, July 12, 2012.


Tourists visit the ancient town of Fenghuang in Fenghuang County of Xiangxi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, July 12, 2012.


Tourists visit the Furong Town scenic spot in Xiangxi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.


Tourists walk on an ancient alley in the ancient town of Fenghuang in Fenghuang County of Xiangxi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central Hunan Province, July 11, 2012. The prefecture received 8.5089 million tourists in the first half of this year, a soar of 24.96 percent year on year. The toursim revenues in this period stood at 4.596 billion yuan (71.9 million US dollars), up 24.05 percent over the same period of last year. (Source: Xinhua/Long Hongtao)