People looking for ways to escape heat

Scenic spots offering cooler weather are seeing a surge in visitors, as people across northern China look to escape the current heat wave.

In the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where temperatures have risen as high as 47 C, many are heading to Nanshan, a vast pasture about 55 kilometers south of Urumqi.

The area, with its forests, grasslands glaciers and low cost - just 20 yuan ($3) to get in - received about 30,000 visitors last weekend, website Xinjiangnet reported, citing the park's managing committee.