Overburdened scenic spots urged to improve management in China

China's holiday-coordination authorities on Thursday urged popular scenic spots to improve their management to cope with surging tourist flows following soaring complaints of nightmarish experiences at overcrowded sites. As China's seven-day National Day Holiday -- during which millions of Chinese flocked on the road for the "Golden week" -- stretches into the third day, the hustle and bustle of crowds at major tourist attractions continued to plague outgoing travellers. In response to mounting public grumbles, the National Holiday Office on Thursday issued an emergency notice asking the scenic spots to timely disclose reception information and tap capabilities to avoid unpleasant episodes. Jiuzhaigou Valley, a World Heritage site in southwest China which is famous for its colorful water pools, snowy mountains, deep valleys and forests, got into trouble on Wednesday when its shuttle buses failed to cope with a rush of 40,000 tourists. More than 4,000 of them stranded in the valley were not evacuated until 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The whole traffic system was paralyzed after some visitors lost patience and tried to stop buses and get aboard, according to the valley administration which later apologized for insufficient measures.