BEIJING (AP) — China will invest 400 million yuan ($63.5 million) to develop tourism in southeastern Tibet by building 22 model villages, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.

Xinhua said China plans to make Nyingchi county, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, into an international tourist destination. It is nestled in a region known for its forests, snow-covered mountains, valleys and rivers.