Sight-seeing boats sail on the West Lake, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, August 9.

According to statistics provided by the Hangzhou municipal tourism commission, the 2010 Shanghai Expo has been serving as a catalyst for the development of Hangzhou's tourism. Between January and June, Hangzhou received 1,228,300 tourists from overseas who stayed for at least one night, an increase of 15.8% from the same period last year. Hangzhou also received 28,450,400 domestic tourists, an increase of 15.1%. The tourism revenue totaled RMB 45.153 billion, an 18.5% increase.

By Li Cheng