In 2005, more than one million visitors including 90,000 foreigners toured Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province, home to the world-famous Mogao Grottoes, according to local authorities.

It is the first time in history that Dunhuang had more than 1 million visitors in a year, said a senior official from the tourism bureau of Dunhuang.

Dunhuang had 820,000 visitors in 2004.

Local authorities managed to boost tourism in the slack season through a series of marketing and promotional activities, including tapping markets in Japan and South Korea.

With the construction of No. 313 National Highway and the Dunhuang Railway, as well as more flights to the local airport, Dunhuang foresees a bright tourism future, the official said.

"We will probably have 1.1 million to 1.2 million visitors in 2006," the official added.

The Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang are known as the Thousand Buddha Caves spreading for about 1,600 meters along a hill, whose frescos, painted on the ceiling and walls of the caves, carry the best preserved Buddhist art in the world.

More than 3,000 tourists visit the Mogao Grottoes daily in the busy season, which stretches from May to October, according to the tourism bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2005)