China has launched 12 national travel routes with the aim of influencing tourists' travel habits and creating new modes of travel consumption.

The China National Tourism Administration is currently soliciting public opinion about the 12 routes which are: the Silk Road, Shangri-la, the Three Gorges, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the Great Wall, the Beijing-Hanghzou Grand Canal, The Long March of the Red Army, Songhuajiang River and Yalvjiang River, the Yellow River Civilization, the Middle and Lower Reachs of the Yangtze River, Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai-Guilin-Guangzhou, and Coastal Resorts.

A representative from CNTA stated that the selection of these routes had been based on the general characteristics of each of them, and these routes can fully demonstrates Chinas classic natural scenery and culture.

(China Hospitality News March 26, 2009)