Thanks to its increasingly high level of recognition, Taishan Mountain continues to be a hot tourist destination, which in turn strengthens its confidence in its bid to gain a world geopark title.

Last year, Taishan Mountain entered the list of the first batch of National Model Scenic Areas, while at the same time securing the title of China's Top 10 Influential Tourism Destinations in 2005.

In addition, the mountain has acquired the status of a national geopark. And the local custom of burying natural rocks taken from the mountain at the corners of the house to exorcise evil spirits and bring good fortune has been selected as one the nation's first non-physical cultural heritages.

These achievements have added to the core competitiveness, recognition and attractiveness of Taishan Mountain.

By July 17, the total number of tourists to the mountain passed the 1 million mark, up 18.7 per cent year-on-year. The total ticket revenue hit 100 million yuan (US$12.5 million) by July 23, up 20 per cent year-on-year.

Compared with its peers in the country, it is its unique influence and the effective promotion that make Taishan Mountain more outstanding, which helps in the mountain's bid for a world geopark title.

A domestic expert group of nine members including the famous geological research fellow Lu Songnian visited the mountain in July to inspect its preparation for the bid.

They visited the Taishan Geological Museum and the major scenic spots, offering on-the-spot guidelines for the application efforts.

The experts also evaluated the construction of Taishan Mountain national geopark in light of the standards of a world geopark candidate. They gave detailed and feasible advice on improving its environment in a bid to fully show the unique geological and cultural heritages to experts with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, who, as the formal assessment group, will go there to conduct a field study from August 4-6.

(China Daily August 4, 2006)