China opens islands to tourism
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The Chinese government has opened a strategically significant island county to foreign tourists, according to a Xinhua report.
A group of more than 10 tourists from the United States, Holland, Norway and Sweden have become the first foreign nationals to step foot on the islands off Yantai City, Shandong province, since 1949, the report said.
Changdao County, a 32-islet archipelago, is located at the confluence of the Bohai and Yellow Seas, and serves as a gateway to the northern cities of Tianjin and Beijing.
The islets, often known as the Temple Islands due to the large numbers of temples built there, are known for their sandy beaches and limestone cliffs. The islands have a total coastline of 146km, and support vast varieties of marine life. Both Changdao National Forest Park and Changdao National Nature Reserve are located on the islands.
The county has a history of more than 3,500 years and is regarded as the cradle of north China’s maritime culture, according to Xinhua.
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