The third “Year of Chengdu”, a themed tourism program sponsored by Chengdu municipal government and local government departments, was launched in the city on Wednesday.

A variety of activities will be staged at a large number of venues in the city, including major

tourist attractions in the city such as Xiling Snow Mountains, Jinsha Site Museum, Wuhouci Temple, Wenshu Monastery, China Alley and Du Fu’s Thatched House, as well as several old towns featuring ancient architecture.

Cultural events will also be conducted on some festive occasions, such as the Lantern Show, the Temple Fair, the South China Snow & Ice Festival and Spring Festival celebrations at some sightseeing sites around the city.

Local government has held promotional programs in other cities in China and several countries in southeastern Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia, to attract more visitors to join local people in celebrating the Spring Festival. It also has signed agreements with Google and MSN to promote the event on the Internet.

The “Year of Chengdu” of this year has a theme of “Share Happiness” and will last till early March.