Beijing, July 2 All non-Chinese people will get free access to 12 major tourist sites in Anyang city, Henan province, under a new policy.

According to the China Daily, Chinese citizens will not be given the same privilege that is designed to attract more foreign tourists, who are smaller in number than domestic travelers to the city.

Overseas tourists will only have to show their passports to enter historical spots like Yinxu - the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty (1766 BC - 1050 BC) - one of the oldest and largest archaeological sites in China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chinese, however, will have to cough up 50 yuan (7.3 dollars) for a ticket.

"We are trying to spread the Chinese culture. We think Anyang should have tourists from all over the world," said Zhang Jianguo, director of Anyang tourism bureau.

Many netizens expressed their anger at the policy, which was described as "fawning over foreigners" on popular portal Sina.com.

Also among the 12 tourist destinations is the Red Flag Channel, a man-made river constructed in the 1960s, and Yuefei Temple, built in honor of Yue Fei, a famous Chinese patriot and military general born in Anyang.

Zhang said some 12 million tourists visited Anyang last year, of which just 35,000 were foreigners.

Free tickets worth 10 million yuan have been given out to people across the country since last December, he added. (ANI)