The total retail sales of consumer products in southwest China's Sichuan Province totaled 298 billion yuan (37.25 billion U.S. dollars) in 2005, up 14 percent year-on-year.

Consumer prices were largely stable, with an average 1.7 percent rise over the previous year, said figures provided by the provincial statistics bureau.

In 2005, the province further tapped the urban and rural markets and stimulated consumption in housing, automobile, culture and sports sectors.

Its tourism income totaled 72.1 billion yuan (9 billion U.S. dollars), up 27 percent year-on-year.

Source: Xinhua