Tourist town reopens after flood

An ancient town in central China's Hunan Province reopened to tourists on Saturday after devastation by a heavy flood in mid-July, said an official.

The reconstruction of ancient Fenghuang town has mostly been completed, said Zhao Haifeng, head of Fenghuang county government.

The damaged heritage sites have been restored, with power, water supply and street lamps returning to normal, according to the official.

Downpours, the heaviest since local hydrological records began, hit the ancient town in the Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi

on July 15. One-third of the town was inundated by floods more than one meter deep. More than 120,000 tourists and locals were evacuated and the scenic area was closed.

The restoration work started on July 16.

Fenghuang, which means "phoenix" in Chinese, is known for its well-preserved architecture and traditional river town scenery. Over the years, it has developed into a popular tourist destination with more than 600 hotels and guest houses, and tourism contributes more than 60 percent of the local economy.