CRI听力: Yantai Boosts Global Image

Anchor: The coastal city of Yantai, in East China's Shandong Province, is seeking greater international exposure through holding international events, boosting tourism and deepening business ties with foreign companies.

Ting Ting has more.

Reporter:

People in Yantai are busy preparing for one thing now. Wednesday will see the opening ceremony of the 3rd Yantai International Wine Festival, which will attract more than 100 overseas exhibitors, a new record high.

As the only 'International Grape and Wine City' in Asia, Yantai has gradually built a solid reputation and found favour with wine lovers from all over the world.(www.hxen.net)

Yin Guowen, the head of Yantai's tourism bureau, explains why Yantai deserves this.

'Yantai's grape wine has more than 170 years old. We have a grape museum and we have a grape castle, a chateau. It is another tourist attraction. There are a variety of activities in the chateau. Every year our wine industry attracts a lot of tourists and our grape industry is developing. Yantai's name is becoming well-known.'

Yantai now produces more than 40 percent of China's wine. But this is not the only thing that Yantai is famous for.

In the first half of year, Yantai had 12 million tourists from both home and abroad, almost double the city's population. Yin Guowen says Yantai has the right scenery to attract people.

"The sea, the beach, the island, that's attractive to tourists. In summer time, a lot of people come to Yantai, I think the most important factor is the sea, because they like the sea and the islands. All together we have 73 islands along the Yantai coast, that's really a big attraction."

In addition to the wine industry and tourism, international economic cooperation is another tool helping Yantai and the world know each other better. Wei Dong, the head of publicity with the Yantai Development Zone, explains how business contacts help Yantai become known globally.

'The development zone contributes to Yantai's global image. Fifty 'Fortune 500' companies have branches here. Our main partners are from Korea, the US and Germany, cooperating with us in the auto and shipping industries. Doing business with foreigners has helped us boost the popularity of Yantai city.'

Yantai also seeks deeper ties with their 14 sister cities abroad, including San Diego in America, Phuket in Thailand and Angus in the UK. Exchanges are mainly in the fields of education, teacher training programs and sports. Yantai hopes to become better known through demonstrating its unique culture.

Ting Ting,CRI news.