Hangzhou and surrounding communities open their doors to leisure and tourism 　　
　　The 2006 World Leisure Expo opens its doors in the scenic city of Hangzhou, in east China’s Zhejiang Province, from April 22 to October 22. The Expo, which was co-sponsored by the World Leisure Organization (WLO), National Tourism Administration and the Zhejiang Provincial Government, highlights the many recreational facets of Hangzhou.
　　The WLO is a worldwide nongovernmental organization dedicated to discovering and fostering the conditions that allow leisure to serve as a means for human growth, development and well-being. In 2003, Hangzhou submitted an application to the Ninth World Leisure Congress, with extensive tour and social programs including leisure, entertainment, conferences, exhibitions, trade shows and festivals. Experts from the WLO investigated whether Hangzhou was capable of staging the Expo, held every five years, and reached their decision along with the organization’s standing committee in China.
　　Shi Yongsheng, Director of the Executive Committee of the Expo, said the Expo will set up four major venues covering one lake and three gardens, as well as 10 sub-venues in Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu Province and Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province. Major activities will be concentrated at the Hangzhou World Leisure Expo Garden, World Leisure Expo Folks Garden, Oriental Cultural Garden and Xianghu Lake Tourism Resort. The Hangzhou World Leisure Expo Garden is a leisure complex covering a land area of more than 200 hectares, with a 10-km water course divided into eight functional sites. The opening and closing ceremonies, world 100-city leisure fashion showcase and leisure conference will all be held here. Total investment for the Expo’s construction was 3.5 billon yuan.
　　The world 100-city leisure fashion hall is extraordinary in architecture design with Gothic ornaments, a Venetian watercourse, and corridors of Islamic design in the hall. The standing committee of the Expo has invited about 100 cities from home and abroad to showcase their unique cityscapes and leisure styles to ensure a diversity of cultures.
　　As Shi said, the major venues and stadium facilities were totally funded by the Hangzhou Songcheng Group, a local privately owned company. Under an agreement signed by both sides, the Expo facilities will be available for paid use after the conference as permanent scenic spots for gradual investment returns. He also believed that the 2006 World Leisure Expo is a leisure feast embracing tourism, entertainment, conferences, exhibitions and other large-scale events.
　　It is reported that, in 2005, east China’s Zhejiang Province received 3.4 million and 120 million foreign and domestic visitors, respectively, up 26 and 20 percent over 2004, including 176,000 from the United States, up 36 percent over the corresponding period of 2004.
　　Meanwhile the Expo will share with international visitors a vigorous city in rapid growth and flourishing leisure travel infrastructure with abundant resources in tourism.

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