Chinese world heritage site to get international airport

By Yusof Sulaiman l eTN Asia
The Chinese government is to build an international airport in Dunhuang, located in northeast China's Gansu province, to accommodate the increasing number of overseas tourists.
The number of overseas visitors coming to see the ancient Buddhist cave paintings in the province has grown by 30 percent annually.

Official figures from the local tourist administration office revealed that a total of 71,000 international tourists have passed through the airport up to September this year. In 2006, a total of 78,000 international tourists passed through the airport.
More than 60 percent of the international tourists are from Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, where Buddhism is a major religion.

Dunhuang airport, opened in 1982 and expanded in 2002, can currently handle 300,000 passengers.

Hainan Airlines group president Chen Fang, whose airline is based in the southernmost island of Hainan, indicated his support for the expansion project, and interest to further tap into Dunhuang’s potential as a tourist destination, especially during the slack winter and early spring seasons.
“We are waiting for the approval from Beijing before beginning construction,” he said. “Construction won’t take long, apart from expanding the existing airport, building extra quarantine and inspection checkpoints."
Currently, international flights fly to Zhongchuan Airport in provincial capital Lanzhou, more than 1,000 kilometers away.
“The new airport will first open to international charter flights to and from Hong Kong, Osaka and Seoul” said Feng Shiping, head of Dunhuang’s Commerce Bureau.
During the peak travel seasons between late April and mid October each year, about 370 charter flights will fly on these three routes operated by China Southern Airlines, Air China and Hainan Airlines.
Dunhuang is home to more than 800 grottoes of at least 1,600 years old. The most famous, Mogao Grottoes also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, has been a World Heritage Site since 1987.

October 31, 2006   Posted in: China