A tourism festival will be held in Datong of north China's Shanxi Province, where the world famous Yungang Grottoes, one of China's largest ancient group grottoes, are located.

The festival, scheduled from July 28 to August 18, will not only include visits to local scenic spots, but also economic and trade activities promoting local products.

Datong, some 300 kilometers away from Beijing, is one of China' s biggest coal production bases. The city is also famous for historical sites, including grottoes, temples, tombs and sections of the ruined Great Wall.

The Yungang Grottoes, one of the largest and oldest Buddhists cave formations in China, applied for placement on the World Cultural Heritage List under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization last year.

The 1,500-year-old grottoes include 45 caves, more than 1,000 niches and about 51,000 Buddha statues.

(Xinhua 07/18/2001)