More than 70 percent of the Shanghai's 120 popular science venues will be listed as spots for sightseeing and promoted to the public, said the Shanghai Science & Technology Commission Friday.
The commission - which is cooperating with the Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission on the project - has named 43 popular science venues as tourism sites. They include Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and Shanghai Ocean Aquarium.
"The link with a sightseeing concept can aid on the promotion of those popular science venues, which are educational but not very well known," said Hu Yiqing, a tourism commission official.
The city government has encouraged the opening of some popular science sites to the public so that ordinary people can access the sites.
As a result, some local travel agencies developed the "Popular Science Sites One-day Trip" to support the promotion.
Students and retired people are the main targets for such tours, according to Feng Yi, an official of the Shanghai Bus Group Travel Agency.
"Since last December, we have organized more than 3,000 community residents to take the trips," said Feng. "They were interested in sites such as the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, the Sunqiao Modern Agricultural Zone and the Shanghai Seismological Hall."
Most residents can afford for the one-day science trip, which only costs 38 yuan (US$4.57), including transportation and admission, he said.
"As tourism sites, the popular science venues can make their names more well-known and make some money to help cover maintenance costs," said Hu.
(eastday.com June 14, 2003)
