A former Chinese tourism chief has been handed a 12-year prison sentence for accepting bribes.
A court found former director of Anhui bureau of tourism Hu Xuefan guilty of taking bribes totalling 4.6 million yuan (about $691,000).
The court heard Hu and his family accepted cash payments, shopping cards and gold bars during his time as tourism bureau chief and previously when he was employed at Mount Huangshan Resort and as a member of the Huangshan City Committee of the Communist Party.
In exchange for bribes he allocated tourism funds, promoted individuals and boosted resort ratings.
More than 20 companies or individuals benefitted, the court heard.
He had previously admitted guilt but later retracted his confession.
Along with the prison sentence he was fined four million yuan, the Shanghai Daily reported.
