For those who believe that studying traditional literature has no practical application in the real world, perhaps this news from a scenic spot in Hubei Province will come as a surprise.

During the recent Qingming Festival, China's traditional tomb-sweeping holiday, people who visited Hubei's Xisai Mountain from April 2 to 6 were offered special deals, and those with a love of poetry stood to gain the most.

Visitors surnamed Zhang enjoyed half-price tickets in honor of poet Zhang Zhihe of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), who wrote the famous poem "Ode to Xisai Mountain."

Tourists with a memory for verse also reaped benefits. Those who could recite certain poems could get in for free.

In addition to the poem by Zhang, tourists could win free entry by reciting two other Tang Dynasty works of verse: "Meditation on the Past at Xisai Mountain" by Liu Yuxi and "Qingming" by Du Mu.

Those who could deliver Zhang's poem adhering to the tonal patterns, rhythms, and other rules in classical Chinese poetry could win free entry for the whole family for life.

According to employees of the scenic spot, this is the first such event at Xisai Mountain and visitors were not rather unprepared. Some were too restrained in their delivery, even if they knew the whole poem by heart.

Workers say they will continue to offer the deal and promote this practice to encourage visitors to recite the poem.

Beijing Daily