China: Int'l tourists flock to Xiamen as shopping experience improves.

Shotlist Xiamen City, Fujian Province, east China - Recent 1. Aerial shots of cityscape, coastline 2. Aerial shot of visitors 3. Aerial shots of China Film Music Exhibition Hall 4. Various of overseas tourists visiting exhibition 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudolph Asase Mensah, visitor from Ghana (starting with shot 4): "It's my first time coming here, so I love it here. And the atmosphere is good. The art you showed is also perfect." 6. Various of overseas tourists visiting exhibition, shopping for souvenirs 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rodney Harrison, visitor from Britain (partially overlaid with shot 8): "No one does creative and cultural products in museums as well as China does. And there's a kind of culture of doing that here in China. And I think this is as good as any other place that I've been [to]. It's great to be able to see some memorable items that people can take home from their visits so that they remember [them] into the future." 8. Various of international tourists visiting exhibition, shopping for souvenirs 9. Aerial shots of cityscape, historic architecture 10. Various of visitors 11. Various of signs, posters for departure tax refund service 12. International visitors on street 13. Various of shoppers in departure tax refund stores 14. Aerial shot of coastline, visitors 15. Aerial shot of cityscape 16. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Bekdurdy, visitor from Turkmenistan (full name not given/starting with shot 15): "It's a good policy that brings convenience to tourists." 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Hassan Nawa, visitor from Pakistan (full name not given/ending with shot 18): "Probably I will visit those shops and buy some gifts for my home country, also for my family, for my friends also." 18. Aerial shots of cityscape, greenery Storyline With enhanced tax refund services and cultural attractions drawing huge crowds, the eastern coastal city of Xiamen is transforming how overseas visitors experience and spend in China. The May Day holiday peak has passed, but the city's iconic Gulangyu Island is still buzzing with tourists. This UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site unveiled two new cultural landmarks this month: the China Film Music Exhibition Hall, the country's first museum dedicated to Chinese movie music, and the National Art Museum of China's Gulangyu Art Space. Both have quickly gained popularity among international travelers. "It's my first time coming here, so I love it here. And the atmosphere is good. The art you showed is also perfect," said Rudolph Asase Mensah, a visitor from Ghana. According to local statistics, Gulangyu has attracted more than 150,000 overseas tourists so far this year, marking an annual growth of over 49 percent. Beyond the exhibitions, the cultural and creative products on display have also drawn keen interest. Decorative fridge magnets featuring the island's historic architecture have become popular souvenirs. "No one does creative and cultural products in museums as well as China does. And there's a kind of culture of doing that here in China. And I think this is as good as any other place that I've been [to]. It's great to be able to see some memorable items that people can take home from their visits so that they remember [them] into the future," said Rodney Harrison, a British tourist. To further improve the shopping experience, Xiamen has been upgrading its departure tax refund service for overseas tourists since the start of the year. To date, the city has certified 151 tax refund stores, 71 of which offer the "refund upon purchase" service. These stores are located across major commercial districts and popular tourist neighborhoods, allowing overseas visitors to process tax refunds easily. In the first four months of this year, the number of international tourists making purchases at Xiamen's departure tax refund stores surged over 560 percent year on year. Total sales grew by 66.8 percent, while the amount of tax refunds increased by nearly 100 percent. "It's a good policy that brings convenience to tourists," said Bekdurdy, a traveler from Turkmenistan. "Probably I will visit those shops and buy some gifts for my home country, also for my family and my friends," said Hassan Nawa from Pakistan. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]