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China has become a major tourist destination following its reform and opening to the world in the late 1970s instigated by Deng Xiaoping. According to the WTO, in 2020, China will become the largest tourist country and the fourth largest for overseas travel. The fast development of China's transportation infrastructure provides wide-ranging travel for domestic and overseas tourists. Throughout China a great many hotels and restaurants have been constructed, renovated or expanded to satisfy all levels of requirement, and there are now around 10,000 hotels with star ratings. All large or medium-sized cities and scenic spots have hotels with complete facilities and services for both domestic and international visitors.
The most popular tourist attraction in China is the Great Wall of China. Also popular are the Forbidden City in Beijing, which was the center of Chinese Imperial power, and the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty Emperor's mausoleum in Xi'an, a vast collection of full-size terracotta statues of Chinese Imperial soldiers horses and equipment; but China has many other attractions for the tourists, among these breathtaking natural landscape, amazing wildlife, Chinese culture and customs of ethnic minorities.
Hainan Island, sometimes referred to as "Hawaii of the Orient" is located off the south coast of mainland China. It hosts most of China's tropical resorts, and because of this, is extremely popular with mainland Chinese, as well as those from Hong Kong and nearby Asian countries. During the past few years, the Chinese government has heavily promoted Hainan Island as a world class resort with beaches and golf courses which are plentiful on Hainan Island. In addition, the ability to visit traditional Li and Miao cultural villages, hike among lush tropical rain forests and mountainsides, and visit significant cultural artifacts from long ago dynasties, has had a significant effect on tourism on the island.
Coming to China, tourists appreciate folk art, including uniquely charming Peking Opera performances and comic dialogues, and also learn about ethnic customs such as the Dai Water Sprinkling Festival, Ti Torch Festival, Bai March Street, Zhuang Singing Festival and Mongolian Nadam Fair. Besides, tasting Chinese cuisine is an absolutely necessary part of tourism in China. The Beijing Roast Duck, Mongolian boiled mutton, Guangdong's roasted piglet, Hangzhou's West Lake vinegar fish, Sichuan's spicy bean curd and a variety of local-flavor snacks are only some of China's culinary delights.
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