Ogi Adolf, head of a visiting Swiss delegation, last Saturday sent a video e-mail from the Huangshan Mountain in east China's Anhui Province to Jungfrau Mountain in the hinterland of Switzerland, launching the e-links between the two mountains.

One of the most beautiful mountains in China, the 1,864-meter-high Huangshan Mountain, also known as the Yellow Mountain, has received over 16 million visitors since 1979. It is now one of 17 sites on the UN World Cultural and Natural Heritage list.

Dubbed the Queen of the Alps and the "Terrace of Europe", Jungfrau Mountain, 4,158 meters in height, is known to many as the course for the slalom world championships. It is also included in the World Natural Heritage list.

In May this year, the two "sister mountains" jointly launched a website at www.sistermountains.com. Visitors to both mountains can get free entry into the website and exchange video e-mails with special equipment provided by the Swiss side.

The first test e-mail from Adolf was addressed to his daughter, with the picturesque Huangshan Mountain as its video background.

A long-term photo exhibition will also be held at the two mountains to teach travelers about their spectacular sceneries.

According to Xu Zhonglin, governor of Anhui, the two sides have signed an agreement on expanding cooperation in natural resources protection and tourism development.

Calling the close contact between Huangshan and Jungfrau "just a first step," Adolf said that Switzerland would like to have more exchanges and cooperation with China on the economic and cultural fronts.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2002)