Tourism day proposal 'absurd'

Hunan tourism bureau's proposal to set late Chairman Mao Zedong's birthday on Dec 26 as the national tourism day has met with opposition from netizens, with many saying the province is trying to "use the great leader's heritage to boost local revenue".

The proposal came in response to a call by the national tourism authority to solicit a date for the country's national tourism day.

Beside Hunan province being Mao's birthplace, the bureau listed 10 reasons to support its proposal, one of them being the date 12/26 which, when said in Hunan local dialect, sounds like "inviting you to travel", Hunan Daily reported yesterday.