Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, has made it free for medical workers that aided the province in fighting the epidemic to visit its top tourist sites for five years.

The provincial cultural and tourism department will issue a card to all medical team members from outside the province. With the card, medical workers are able to enjoy limitless free visits to the top-rated tourist sites in Hubei before December 31, 2024.

Local medical staff can visit these sites for free with their medical credentials for two years, the department said.

Recently, many Chinese provinces and cities have waived entrance fees to their major scenic spots for the nation's medical workers this year in a move to express appreciation to the doctors and nurses on the front line of the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.

These sites include some of the country's most popular attractions, such as Gulangyu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site in east China's Fujian Province, and Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, which displays the well-known army of terracotta warriors.

As of Wednesday, a total of 278 teams consisting of 32,395 medical workers across the country have been sent to Hubei to join in the battle against the virus.

(Cover: Shennongjia National Park in central China's Hubei Province. /VCG)