A tourist guide competition was held over the weekend in Hangzhou, ahead of the upcoming World Leisure Exposition.

Currently, the city has 343 travel agencies, and 34 of them deal with the international sightseeing business. Hangzhou has 7731 licensed guides.

The competition, sponsored by Hangzhou tourism commission, was composed of written tests, artistic skills and the introduction of the scenic spots and it received 129 entries.

The 2006 Hangzhou World Leisure Exposition is scheduled to be held from April 22 to Oct. 22. About 15 million domestic visitors together with one million overseas tourists are expected to attend the event.