China's first Rural Tourism Festival opened?yesterday at Jinjiang District of Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The National Tourism Administration has officially recognized the city as the "Cradle of the Happy Rural Family." The festival will last until April 30, which is also the prelude of the 2006 China?Domestic Travel Mart.

Several top officials, including Vice Minister of National Tourism Administration Sun Gang, Governor of Sichuan Province Zhang Zhongwei and Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee Zhang Xuezhong attended the opening ceremony.

And an evening gala based on rural tourism is being held tonight at the San Sheng Hua Xiang (literal translation -- "Three Saints' Flowering Town"), a rural region which is highly developed. The community only learned today that they had won the title of National AAAA Top Grade Tourism Region in a National Tourism Administration scheme.

Thanks to the successful "Happy Rural Family" tourism marketing, San Sheng Hua Xiang has boosted its economy by making people aware of the wonders of the region and attracting visitors. Visitors can enjoy rural life, the landscape, folk arts and various leisure pursuits.

The Festival is also a significant part of the rural tourism industry in 2006. It plays a part in "China Rural Tourism Year" which has been organized by National Tourism Administration and launched on January 1, 2006.

The Festival is just the prelude to the 2006 China?Domestic Travel Mart. A press conference was held at Chengdu municipal government building on April 11 where top municipal officials anticipated that China's first Rural Tourism Festival and annual China?Domestic Travel Mart, which will open in the next two days, will largely promote the city's tourist attractions and image. He Huazhang, vice mayor of Chengdu, said it is a big chance to identify the city as one of the best to visit in China.

The annual China?Domestic Travel Mart is the biggest of its kind. It is expected to attract 10,000 representatives and visitors from various organizations, agencies, government departments and enterprises during the three day long exhibition from April 13-15.

It's the second time the Mart has been held in Chengdu -- the last time was in 2001. Ge Honglin, mayor of Chengdu, hinted that this was a good sign and sowed strong approval from all sides of society.

Now Chengdu knew more about the outside world and it would love to see the nation and the world come to know more about it, said the mayor. "The cuisine, giant panda, our face-changing stunts and many other unique attractions can be found in Sichuan and we want the world to know about that and promote ourselves," Ge Honglin said, "We want Chengdu to be a place where you never want to leave."

(China.org.cn by staff reporter Zhang Rui, April 13, 2006)