Xichuan's mega canal project attracts flood of tourists

When China launched its $62 billion South-North Water Transfer Project, Xichuan county in Nanyang, Henan province, agreed to divert billions of liters of water from the Han River to Beijing.

But what the city did not expect was the flood of tourists that would flow from the capital to Xichuan in return.

The county attracted 5.4 million visitors in 2015, generating 2.6 billion yuan ($380 million) in revenue.

And among the most popular attractions in Xichuan are the vast concrete monoliths of Taocha and Danjianghu Reservoir, which draw water from the Han River and feed it into the huge canal running almost 1,000 km to Beijing.

Xichuan is seeking to take full advantage of the interest generated by the water transfer project.

The county recently joined the "5+13" alliance, a group of regions that are working together to promote tourism along the canal route.

And the government has also signed a cooperation agreement on bilateral tourism development with Beijing, with plans to develop a special tourist route connecting the two regions.

Beijing gave Xichuan a further boost in April when the two regions co-hosted a news conference to promote Xichuan as a tourist destination.

The State Council has also recognized Xichuan's efforts, naming the county a "model of ecotourism".

Lu Hanwei, the Party secretary of Xichuan, feels confident that this is the beginning of a bright future for the region's tourism industry.

"The Beijing-Xichuan tourism cooperation benefits both areas. We'll continue to work together to strengthen communication and resource sharing to promote the tourism industry," he said.