The solar eclipse, which will last less than 7 minutes, will be visible in more than 40 cities in China, including Hangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Suzhou, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan and Hefei.

At a press conference in Beijing on May 19, the Chinese Astronomical Society and the National Astronomical Observatories named eight other places as the best spots from which to observe the eclipse. They are Yixian Town, Tongling City, Tongcheng City in Anhui Province, Jiaxing City in Zhejiang Province, Suzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, and Gaochun Town in Jiangsu Province.

The cities are currently gearing up for the eclipse.

In Gaochun

The local astronomical society has designated three venues to provide its citizens with open spaces to observe the solar eclipse, including the city square and a resort village.

In Suzhou

The tourism bureau of Suzhou has introduced six "solar eclipse-viewing" travel routes covering the city's major sightseeing spots such as the Lion's Grove Garden and the Humble Administrator's Garden. The solar eclipse in the city will be broadcast live on the Internet.

A forum with more than 200 astronomers from both home and abroad will be held on July 19-25.

In Wuxi

The city will hold a series of activities to popularize the study of astronomy. A children's center and a local residential community will host interactive astronomy presentations on July 20, followed by two days of astronomy forums at other public venues.

In Changzhou

Three venues in Changzhou, including a wildlife park, are said to be the best places in the city to observe the solar eclipse. Experts from the local association for science and technology will keep records of how the animals in the wildlife park react to the eclipse. The experts say animals are quite sensitive to unusual changes in nature and suggest astronomy fans pay special attention to the behavior of their pets or other domestic animals during the solar eclipse.

(Xinhua News Agency)