130 battery cars helped

On the early morning of the New Year’s Day, tourist coaches, personal cars poured into the Stone Forest from everywhere so that the new Visitor Center was crowded enough. All the guests expected to experience the ticketing service, guide service, consulting service, five-star toilets and the tourist battery cars. Everyone wondered to have a glance at the brand new Stone Forest.

In order to fulfill the commitments made during the application to the World Natural Heritage, to contribute the Stone Forest better and lead it to the international scenic spot, since the early September last year, the local government invested 600 million yuan on the integral transformation and enhancement work on the Major and Minor Stone Forest, which was the biggest construction since the foundation of the garden.

Among the numerous transformation works, there were two projects about the new Visitor Center and the new tourist battery cars. After the application of the two new projects, visitors had a totally different experience from ever before of the new outlook, peacefulness, fresh air, good organization and the warm sunshine during the winter.

From now on all the motor vehicles will be forbidden in the Stone Forest and be taken place by the tourist battery cars, which aim at reducing the carbon emission and the traffic jam to recover the peace in the spot. There are two lines 8-meter-long in total for the tourists; one is the inner-ring road, the 3-meter-long one-way loop driving way from the gate of the Stone Forest Scenic Spot which has several stops where visitors are able to get on and off the cars, the other is the round-trip outer-ring road, which is 2.6 kilometers long from the new Visitor Center to the gate of the Spot. Both of the two lines adopt the through ticket system at the price of 25 yuan for each one, excluding from the 175 yuan entrance ticket. At present, there are 130 tourist battery cars in totally in the Stone Forest Scenic Spot which can meet the need of 20,000 visitors at one time in the prime time.

Aunt Tian had been to the Stone Forest for two times. She had an enjoyable time during the trip. This time, she kept company with her sister-in law to visit the Stone Forest. In the beginning of the visiting this time, Aunt Tian and her families did not understand the price for the tourist battery cars. Then having been explained to by the officials, Aunt Tian had the grace to say, “25 yuan for 8 kilometers, that is worthy letting alone the contribution to the carbon emission and environmental protection. All my families will support it.”

The regular guide to the Stone Forest Scenic Spot Mei Guo, from Kunming Xianghao Tourist Agency, said, “At first, the tourist battery cars can not be acceptable, which is common phenomenon. It is the first time bringing in the new cars. But it will get better as time goes by and the visitors get used to it.” Responsible for a over-20-people group this time, said to the reporter in private, “On the ground that we did not have an agreement with the visitors ahead of time, the car fees, 25 yuan per visitor, will be paid by our agency. And we sure will discuss and reach the agreement with our visitors next time.”

Problems can not be avoided at the beginning of the application of the new tourist lines between the new Visitor Center and the new tourist battery cars in the Stone Forest Scenic Spot. At the moment, plenty of officials and staff have been sent to the guides and domestic and overseas visitors to offer help and to accumulate the suggestions and advise on the new Visitor Center, the new tourist battery cars service quality feedbacks from guides and visitors. According to the feedback from the guides and visitors and potential loop holes found during the process, the administration will work out remedies to ensure the high quality and humanized service for the visitors.

The new Visitor Center

The new tourist battery cars in operation

Visitors to the spot on the tourist battery car