Autumn is travel season in China. And Shanghai has been busy preparing for the influx of visitors. On Monday (September 11), the city displayed a dazzling set of parade floats.

The Shanghai Tourism Festival is nearly a week away. But locals can already feast their eyes on the seventeen floats, built for the citywide parade.

This year, each float was designed to honor the culture of a particular world region. And multi-media technology is employed, to dynamic effect.

As the festival opens on Sunday (September 17), the floats will roll through all of Shanghai's ten districts. And onlookers will be able to vote, for the one they find most spectacular. During the national holiday, in early October, they will be on display at Century Park.

China has become the world's fourth most popular tourist destination, behind France, Spain and the United States. The festival will be a wonderful opportunity for Shanghai businesses, but also a challenge. Accommodation, transportation, and service are the key factors, in drawing international travelers.

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