[File photo]

China’s e-tourism giant Ctrip has rewarded 10 well-behaved tourists in an effort to improve the country's image overseas - especially when it comes to tourism.

Launched in October by Ctrip, the “Excellent Chinese Tourists Fund” aims to reward tourists who serve as role models for others, and promote the idea of civilized tourism among Chinese travelers. The prize recipients were chosen by Internet users, and the top winner will receive 10,000 RMB.

Sun Min won the top prize after rescuing tourists in a car accident. Sun and his family were in a severe traffic accident during a trip in August. Despite his own injuries, Sun selflessly rescued eight tourists trapped in a tour bus. His own mother passed away due to injuries from the accident.

Other tourists have also been rewarded for their good deeds while abroad, including a traveler who waited for hours to return a passport to its owner in Japan, and a parent who carries a bottle everywhere to clean a toddler’s urine without contaminating the environment.

As China’s economy continues to grow, more and more Chinese tourists are traveling overseas. Over 4 billion trips are made by Chinese citizens in domestic tours annually, while over 100 million trips are made abroad. Some egregious and rude behaviors on the part of Chinese travelers have severely damaged the country’s image abroad, while the behavior of most civilized Chinese tourists goes unnoticed.

According to Ctrip, the company will keep rewarding "model tourists" in the future, while badly behaved tourists may be listed as unwelcome visitors.