The "Fall in Love with Yichang" tourism promotion tour was launched in Yichang, Central China's Hubei province, on Sept 17. One hundred guests from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other places took part in the maiden trip of the cruise ship Three Gorges 8 during the promotion.

The activity encouraged 100 traveling sales people to visit the Three Gorges?Tribe scenic spot, the Three Gorges Dam, Qingjiang Gallery and the Xiling Gorges scenic spot.

According to Ma Shangyun, director of the Yichang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Yichang Transportation Group has invested nearly 1 billion yuan ($163.4 million) since last March to build the four cruise ships: Three Gorges 6, 7, 8 and 9. The ships will allow tourists to enjoy the original cultural landscapes and natural beauty of Yichang .

Yichang Transportation Group plans to build more cruise ships so that tourists can conveniently visit the Three Gorges Dam, Gezhou Dam and Xiling Gorges. In the future, the annual carrying capacity of the cruise ships is expected to exceed 10 million passengers.

Edited by Michael Thai and Le Qin