The annual Mountain Taishan International Tourism & Climbing Festival opened in Tai’an in Shandong province on Sept 5. Five major activities are scheduled during this year’s festival. They are: the 24th International Climbing Festival, the 2010 Mount Taishan International Music Festival, the 15th National Fitness & Mount Taishan Climbing International Invitational Match, the 3rd Mount Taishan-Mount Fuji China-Japan Friendship Festival and the 2010 China (Tai’an) Investment Fair.

A new theme, “New Tai’an, Fresh Experience”, was announced at the opening news conference. Organizers said this year’s festival is designed to attract local residents and tourists as part of the effort to help “construct an economically and culturally strong city, and shape Tai’an into a world-renowned tourist destination”.

The festival’s athletic events have attracted more than 2,100 athletes from 26 provinces, cities and autonomous regions, plus more than 200 athletes from 29 countries and regions.

The 2010 China (Tai’an) Investment Fair is scheduled from Sept 6 until Sept 9. So far, 482 traders have registered as participants, and 166 projects have been signed, of which 27 involved foreign investments. Contracted foreign investment deals reached 553.29 million dollars in value, and 139 additional projects were valued at more than 30 million yuan, attracting a total of more than 33 billion yuan in new foreign investments.

By Li Jing