Located near Dongying in east China's Shandong Province, the estuary drew 300,000 domestic and overseas tourists in January-July this year, bringing in 100 million yuan (12.05 million US dollars) in tourism revenue, according to figures from the Dongying Tourism Bureau.

The strongest appeal of this 2,300-sq km area is the splendid spectacle of the great river emptying into the Bohai Sea. It also boasts a vast expanse of wetlands, grasslands and a beautiful coastline.

Government sources said the city planned to invest another 800 million yuan (96.4 million dollars) to upgrade tourism facilities in this area.

( Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2002)