This Day, That Year

Item from March 20, 1996, in China Daily: Foreign tourists admire traditional Chinese lanterns at the Chenghuang Temple in Yuyuan Park in Shanghai. China's tourism industry continues apace, according to the China National Tourism Administration, which reported encouraging figures for January 1996.

The number of overseas tourists visiting the Chinese mainland topped 3.85 million in January, an 8.3 percent increase over the same period last year. Tourists generated more than $600 million in foreign exchange.

Attracted by China's rich history and culture, more and more foreign visitors have headed to Chinese destinations since the country started its reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s. China received more than 26 million foreign tourists last year, a 0.27 percent increase from the previous year, according to the China National Tourism Administration. The visitors - including those in front of Beijing's Forbidden City on May 7, seen in the photo above - generated nearly $60 billion for the tourism sector, a year-on-year rise of more than 10 percent.