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http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/811/2006/05/07/421@85556.htm

Thousands of tourists and local residents witnessed a mirage of high
clarity lasting for four hours off the shore of Penglai City in east China's
Shandong Province on Sunday.

Mists rising on the shore created an image of a city, with modern high-rise
buildings, broad city streets and bustling cars as well as crowds of people
all clearly visible.

The city of Penglai had been soaked by two days of rain before the rare
weather phenomenon occurred. The mirage took place during the week-long
Labor Day holiday. The small city received over 30,000 tourists on Sunday.

Experts said that many mirages have been recorded in Penglai, on the tip of
Shandong Peninsula, throughout history, which made it known as a dwelling place of the gods.
They explained that a mirage is formed when moisture in the air becomes warmer than the temperature
of sea water, which refracts rays of sunlight to create reflections of the landscape in the sky.





Jan Rasmussen