China is beckoning at you, our friends throughout the world, with the fascination of its unique charms.Her culture, rendered mysterious by its fabled and poetical associations;her landsape,dotted with scenes and sights of sublime natural beauty;and her legacy of folklore,rich and variegated - all these are reasons why, over the years,a constant flow of visitors are coming to China form every nook and cranny of the globe.

  As the new century is dawning on the horizon, the Chinese government has decided to sponsor the '99 International Horticultural Exposition in Kunming from May 1 to October 31,1999, reistered as an A1 exhibition with the Bureau International Expositions(BIE).Taking this opportunity, the China National Tourism Administration has announced yet another national tourist programme, China Ecotourism'99. Under the theme "Man and Nature-Marching into the 21st Century", the '99 lnternational Horticultural Exposition is designed to promote mutual understanding and friendship in the world by showcasing gardens in a variety of national horticultural and landscaping styles. The event will find a responsible echo in China Ecotourism'99, whose theme cannot be more fitting: "Back to Nature, Where Life Begins". The country's myriad national forest and nature reserves, scenic sports and places of historical interest, and the varied folkways of 56 ethnic peoples, have combined to form an immense tapestry of natural tranquillity and grandeur.ln this tapestry Yunnan, a city on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, looks like a bouquet of flowers, greeting the rest of the world with a colourful smile. The province, whose land is rich endowed with snow-mantled mountains and glaciers, sparkling lakes, gurgling hot springs, highland sceneries, virgin woods, tropical rain forests, and the fascinating folklore of its twenty-six ethnic peoples, is lauded variously as kingdom of plants and animals, a natural garden, and a grand-view folklore garden. Here we will acquaint you with a numberof travel routes of fun-packed itineraries, including a tour of the lnternational Horticultural Exposition, and ecotourist routes to highland sceneries, rain forests and southwest China. lt is my hope that this site will come in handy then visitors from overseas embark on a homecoming journey to nature for a few days of leisure and enlightenment.

      The picturesque landscape and exotic folklore of China, and the hospitality of its people-all this can be seen and experienced on the land of Yunnan. With open arms, Yunnan will extend a warm welcome to friends coming from all over the world.

|Introducing'99 lnternational Horticultural Exposition Kunming, China|