The Arxan National Forest Park sees the blooming of rhododendron in May. The scenic city of Arxan promotes tourism for being "beautiful in all four seasons".[Photo provided to China Daily]

President Xi Jinping said Arxan is "beautiful in all four seasons" and "will rise to fame by developing tourism" during his 2014 visit.

The committee has developed policies favorable to visitors during the flower season. Arxan National Forest Park offered free entry during the Rhododendron Festival, and half-priced tickets for the rest of May.

The event attracted about 36,000 travelers.

It hosted such activities as a folk-attire pageant, a "taste of Inner Mongolia" food festival, and plaza-dancing, photography and cycling competitions.

The park has constructed a smart-experience center for visitors and an intelligent operation-and-maintenance center for management.

The 130-square-meter smart-experience hosts virtual-reality tours of the park, an Iben service robot, a multimedia-projection system, an all-in-one touch-screen machine and a motion-sensing screen. The high-tech devices provide travel information and immersive experiences.

The operation-and-maintenance center that opened last year serves about two-dozen functions, such as building safety and intelligent public service.

It not only allows travelers to access information and purchase tickets using mobile devices but also monitors and predicts visitor numbers.