So if you're not into Deep Space, how about green spaces and the great outdoors. Thousands of tourists are pouring into the capital city for Golden Week while at the same time many of the city's residents are seeking new horizons. Some of the locales are quite nearby, and there's so many of them that there's always something new to discover -- even for long time residents of Beijing. Several new routes have been established to handle increased traffic to the suburban sites.

In Beijing's Tongzhou District, visitors experience the charm of the century-old Grand Canal. The waterway was first built during the Sui Dynasty, about 1400 years ago. Tongzhou is the canal's starting point.

Over the years,the district has grown into a comprehensive tourist zone. As you might expect boat rides along the canal are the favourite attraction. But there're also culture and arts to be experienced. The Han Meilin Art Museum displays over two thousand works of calligraphy, painting, sculpture, porcelain. All of the works are by acclaimed artist Han Meilin. You may remember Han as the creator of the Olympic mascots, the Fuwa.

Han believes he has the right place for his own art museum. He says culture and arts will act as the fulcrum for the future development of tourism in the district.

(CCTV October 4, 2008)