Zones aim to integrate culture, tourism

Ministries pick 50 areas to become potential demonstration hubs

On Dec 18, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced a plan to build national demonstration zones to further boost the integration of the cultural and tourism industries.

Fifty cities, city districts and counties from around the nation have been selected as potential zones. They include the Dongcheng and Chaoyang districts of Beijing; the Xincheng district of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region; the Xuhui and Songjiang districts of Shanghai; and in Jiangsu province, the Xuanwu district of Nanjing and the Gusu district of Suzhou.

Construction has either commenced or will begin soon in those areas. Once work is complete in an area, inspectors will visit within three years to determine if it is suitable to become an official demonstration zone.