Characteristic Towns Attracting Tourism, Greater Development Hunan Highlights Heritage, Cherished Cultural Differences of Its Ethnic Groups
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12 | Wednesday, August 26, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY Characteristic towns attracting tourism, greater development Hunan highlights heritage, cherished cultural differences of its ethnic groups Located in Zixing, a countylevel city under Hunan’s Chenzhou city, Huangcao town is a nationally famous tourist destination with impressive landscape. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Fascinating places offer multitude of historical sites and experiences Miaoertan town Huaihua city, and has won the honorary titles mote its high-quality development, Luyuan of Hunan’s beautiful town, Hunan’s ecologi- town welcomed 1.37 million tourists last year, cal town and Hunan’s characteristic cultural achieving tourism revenue worth 756 million tourism town. Beidouxi town is working on yuan. promoting its homestay travel, study travel and special agricultural products. In 2019, Huangcao town Beidouxi town received 300,000 tourists, with tourism revenue reaching 60 million yuan. It is estimated that in three years, the town will welcome 1 million visitors and achieve a total tourism revenue of 200 mil- lion yuan. The Hunan province launches 10 new characteristic cultural Located in Longshan county, Xiangxi Tujia tourism towns for 2020, on July 15 in Changsha. and Miao autonomous prefecture, Miaoertan Hongjiaguan Bai town is notable for its traditional Tujia culture ethnic group township and diverse intangible cultural heritage, includ- By ZHANG DANDAN percent year-on-year, according to ing the Tujia dialect folk song, Tujia traditional [email protected] the local government. dance and Tujia brocade. In 2019, the town Located in Zixing, a county-level city under Furong town in Yongshun coun- received 450,000 tourists, achieving a tourism Chenzhou city, Huangcao town is a national The Hunan Provincial Depart- ty, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autono- revenue worth 90 million yuan ($13 million). It scenic town with favorable environment, a ment of Culture and Tourism and mous prefecture, was among the is expected that in three years, it will receive 1 nationally famous tourist town with charac- the Hunan National Religious first 10 characteristic cultural million tourists. teristic landscape and a national livable Affairs Committee announced 10 tourism towns launched in 2019, town. With its efforts paid in developing fish- new characteristic cultural tour- and has experienced rapid growth Shanjiang town ing culture, immigrant culture, traditional ism towns in Hunan for 2020, on in emerging industries and tour- cultivation culture and folk customs and cul- July 15 in Changsha, the capital ism revenue in the past a year. ture of Yao ethnic group, Huangcao town has city of the province. Qin Xiao, 26, is a tour guide in Located in Sangzhi county of Zhangjiajie founded distinctive cultural tourism festi- The 10 towns hail from 10 coun- Furong. Qin’s whole family used to city, Hongjiaguan Bai ethnic group township vals. It received 600,000 tourists in 2019, ties in the province’s nine cities lived in a battered wooden house is the largest cluster area of Bai ethnic group with total tourism revenue reaching 327 mil- and autonomous prefectures, and scrapped a living from the in Hunan province. In recent years, the town- lion yuan. including the Xiangxi Tujia and farming. Nowadays, thanks to the ship has worked on integrating “red tourism” Miao autonomous prefecture and increase in cultural tourism, Qin’s — tourist attractions with a revolutionary Kaihui town cities of Huaihua, Zhangjiajie, family’s livelihood has significant- legacy — and the Bai culture. A raft of red Changsha and ly improved. tourism projects, including the national Shaoyang. “I witnessed the Long March cultural theme park and a “red The naming of town’s transforma- Located in Fenghuang county, Xiangxi Tujia culture” research base. Last year, the town- characteristic cul- The 10 featured tion from a deso- and Miao autonomous prefecture, Shanjiang is ship received 1.6 million tourists in total. tural tourism late place to a a town typical for the Miao ethnic group. With towns is an effec- cultural tourism prosperous one,” four national-level traditional villages, two his- Langshan town tive way for the towns ... highlight Qin said. “Now, my toric and cultural villages and one village with government to husband works as ethnic minority characteristics, Shanjiang town encourage rural outstanding a security guard at is a national center for the preservation and revitalization in ethnic customs a scenic spot, my inheritance of Miao culture and a national Miao some areas and father-in-law culture travel destination. Last year, the town Kaihui town is located in Changsha county accelerate urbani- and have strong works on rafting received 2 million tourists, with tourism reve- of Changsha city, the capital of Hunan prov- zation in others. potential for boats and my nue totaling 571 million yuan. ince. It is the hometown of Yang Kaihui, the “The 10 featured mother-in-law is beloved wife of Chairman Mao Zedong; and cultural tourism tourism employed in cater- Shuikou town Miao Boying, the very first female member of towns chosen this attraction.” ing. Our income the Communist Party of China. There are year highlight out- has increased sub- nearly 40 cultural relics protection sites in standing ethnic Yu Xinrong, director of the stantially.” Situated in Xinning county of Shaoyang Kaihui town. Promoting red tourism and customs and have Hunan Provincial city, Langshan town is notable for its Lang- Department of Culture and In as early as rural experience tourism, the town received strong potential Tourism 2009, Hunan shan Mountain Scenic Spot, which is a world 2.5 million tourists last year, generating tour- for tourism attrac- launched a protec- natural heritage site, a national 5A tourist ism revenue of 860 million yuan. tion,” said Yu Xin- tion and develop- attraction and national geopark. Langshan rong, director of the Hunan ment campaign aimed at its town has more than 30 homestay hotels, Hupingshan town Provincial Department of Culture villages and towns with ethnic more than 200 agritainment hotels, two cul- and Tourism. group characteristics. tural and performing arts centers and three “They will play a great role in Over the past decade, the prov- shopping blocks, forming a complete tourism promoting integrated develop- ince has led by example in develop- Situated in Jianghua Yao autonomous industrial chain. In 2019, the town welcomed ment in culture and tourism, as ing characteristic culture, tourism county in Yongzhou city, Shuikou town has a more than 5.83 million tourists, with tourism well as targeted poverty allevia- and industries, to help ethnic distinct natural ecological landscape and the revenue totaling 760 million yuan. tion, and are of great significance group areas rid themselves of pov- colorful culture of Yao ethnic group. By in accelerating high-quality devel- erty and boost local urbanization. developing the Yaodu water street tourism Luyuan town opment in Hunan’s cultural tour- “Villages and towns with ethnic project, Shuikou town is working on forging ism industry.” group characteristics in Hunan a full-chain tourism industry involving sight- Looking ahead, the government province are generally located in seeing service, water amusement park and is to step up its efforts to integrate remote areas, which were closed folk-custom accommodation. The town wel- Located in Shimen county of Changde city, cultural tourism and agriculture, off to traffic and with backward comed 320,000 tourists last year, generating Hupingshan town is an ecological tourism education, science and technolo- economies,” said Xiang Enming, 135 million yuan in revenue. demonstration area and a famous characteris- gy, manufacturing and finance, director of the Hunan National tic tourism town in Hunan province. The town aiming to make characteristic Religious Affairs Committee. “And Beidouxi town is notable for its traditional Tujia buildings, towns a shining example of devel- because of that, we’ve been left folk song and dances. By introducing tourism opment in Hunan province, with a wealth of cultural and natu- development companies, the town works on according to the local govern- ral treasures of ethnic groups that creating performances and activities with the ment. are precious and unrepeatable.” theme of its black tea culture and Tujia cul- Hunan now has a total of 20 There are currently 87 villages in The Luyuan town is located in Yanling ture. By exploring its tourism resource and characteristic cultural tourism Hunan that have been named as county of Zhuzhou city and is rich in cultural developing industries related to cultural crea- towns, of which the first 10 were “villages with ethnic groups char- tourism resources. Xicaoping village of the tivity and cultural integration, the town wel- announced in October. acteristics of China” by the Nation- town is selected as a traditional Chinese vil- comed more than 1.6 million tourists in 2019, The first 10 featured towns have al Ethnic Affairs Committee. lage and a demonstration village of rural revi- with tourism revenue totaling 780 million all increased their cultural tour- talization in the border area between Hunan yuan. The town is expected to receive 2 million ism revenue, tax revenue and tour- Zhu Youfang contributed to this and Jiangxi provinces. Aiming to forge its cul- tourists in three years, with annual tourism ist arrivals by more than 10 story. Beidouxi town is located in Xupu county, tural tourism into a leading industry to pro- revenue of 1.2 billion yuan. This page is sponsored by the Hunan government..