File photo shows Pit 2 of China's ancient terra cotta warriors in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province. [chinanews.cn]

XI'AN CITY, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, is famous for its terra cotta warriors. However, some local companies make replicas of the terra cotta excavation sites and charge tourists high prices to visit them. A recent media report on this practice aroused nationwide attention, prompting Wang Yongkang, Party chief of Xi'an, to apologize to tourists and the local authorities to close some of the fake sites. Gmw.cn comments:

It may seem that the local authorities are rather "efficient" in dealing with tourists' complaints. However, false terra cotta sites have existed for years and tourists have issued hundreds of complaints against them, yet the local authorities did not do anything until a report aroused nationwide attention.

Therefore, it is more accurate to say the local authorities acted because of the media pressure, not of their own accord.

More importantly, whether such replicas are legal is the issue in question. Since such sites have operating licenses from the local government, they are legal. But it is illegal for them to cheat tourists by pretending to be a genuine terra cotta warrior site. There is no problem for them to duplicating the terra cotta warriors but they have to inform tourists they are replicas.

Worse, according to reports, there is a whole chain of cheating in Xi'an. For example, there are fake bus lines that carry tourists to the false sites, fake tourist guides that cheat them, fake taxi drivers who mislead them, even fake policemen. Which official allowed such a chain to survive? Who is responsible?

Analysts say one possibility is the local authorities obtain interests from the various links in this chain.

The chaotic tourism market in Xi'an won't be regulated with one campaign-like law enforcement only. It won't turn better until the interests chains between the cheaters and the local officials are cut, and officials are held accountable for their tolerance of illegal deeds.

That's a lesson for Xi'an, as well as for other tourism cities.