The 2001 Sino-Vietnamese Border Tourist Festival opened Sunday in Dongxing, a coastal city bordering Vietnam, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In addition to a series of entertainment gatherings and seaside sightseeing, the festival will also organize a forum on how to boost Sino-Vietnamese border tourism.

Moreover, many investors will also come to the spot to recommend new tourist routes and make other business investigations.

So far, China and Vietnam haven't signed a state-level agreement on tourism, therefore border tour is still the major choice for many tourists.

"We hope this festival can fully develop the potential of the tourist industry of Dongxing, and attract more outside investment, " said Li Guidong, mayor of Dongxing.

A Vietnamese official of a neighboring city also highly commented the event, saying it will provide a good opportunity for the two countries to enhance tourist cooperation.

(People's Daily10/28/2001)