Chinese tourists visit museum, historic sites in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Senior Minister for Tourism Muhammad Atif Khan on Tuesday said that the visit of foreign tourists to Buddhist and historic places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would boost tourism and attract more visitors to the province.

Talking to a 20-member delegation from China here, the senior minister said that the government had taken tangible steps for the promotion of tourism and facilitating tourists.

The visit of foreign tourists is meant to highlight the importance of heritage and archaeological sites related to Buddhism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the world besides promoting religious tourism in the province, he added.

A 20-member from China visited the Peshawar Museum and other historic places in the city. They evinced a keen interest in the findings and discoveries of Buddhism and Buddhist heritage.

Officials of Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) welcomed the Chinese delegation and garlanded the visiting guests. Curator Muhammad Asif briefed the visiting tourists on the archaeological sites in Peshawar, Buddhism, a gallery of Buddhist statues, antiques and artifacts.

He said there were over 6,000 archaeological and heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where research was being carried out to revive these places properly. "The followers of Buddhism would find a treasure trove of Buddhist statues and heritage after thorough research and revival of these sites," the official told the delegation.

He said the government had taken a number of steps for attracting foreign tourists, scholars and researchers to the province. The official said a comprehensive policy had been evolved for preserving and protecting the archaeological sites and places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The initiatives were being taken to carry out the excavation on archaeological sites along modern techniques and methods, he added. The official mentioned the latest discoveries and the rich Gandhara heritage in various parts of the province. A woman tourist in the delegation hoped the visit would provide an opportunity to the visiting members to share their experiences and knowledge among other tourists, archaeologists and researchers, which could be beneficial for people of both the countries. The delegation also visited historic Masjid-e-Mahabat Khan, Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Andar Shehar, Ghanta Ghar, Chowk Yadgar, Islamia College Peshawar and other sites in the city.