Some 80 tourist attractions in Shanxi province welcomed larger crowds of visitors than usual on World Tourism Day, Sept 27, but staff at the sites were well prepared and dealt smoothly with the spike in attendance.

To celebrate the special day, most local scenic spots, including Yungang Grottoes and Jinci Temple, offered free admission tickets, attracting a lot of people. However, the sudden increase in the number of visitors did not lead to chaos.

For instance, Mount Wutai, the famous Buddhist site, was able to cope with the 42,000 people that passed through its gates on Tuesday thanks to its tightened security. Police and firefighters were on hand to ensure that pilgrims were able to pray without incident, and extra signs were put up to guide the incoming crowds.

Staff members of local tourist attractions were partially helped by the fact that World Tourism Day fell on a weekday this year, reducing the number of tourists, while others had already visited the sites for free during China Tourism Day on May 19.

World Tourism Day has been celebrated by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) each Sept 27 since 1980. The date was chosen because it was on that day in 1970 that the statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The festival is designed to raise public awareness on the role of international tourism and show how it contributes to shaping social, political, economic and cultural values.