 Hunan
Hunan,
which means "South of the Lake", is the main rice-growing area
in China and the hometown of Mao Zedong, a great man of China.
With the Xiang River runs through the province, Hunan boasts its
abbreviated name "Xiang". Therefore, the Hunan Opera is called
"Xiang Opera", Hunan Dishes called "Xiang Dishes" and Hunan culture
called "Hu Xiang Culture".
With
the Dongting Lake on the north, Hunan is a beautiful place with
yellow rice field, clean streams and green hills where many minorities
inhabit happily, such as the Tujia, Miao, Dong, Yao, and Bai People.
Those ethnic groups are gifted great dancers and singers, which
makes Hunan an ideal place to enjoy the famous folk songs, dances
and experience the unique folk customs.
As
one of the most popular destinations in China, Hunan is full of
a variety of tourism resources, both natural and historical. Those
include: Zhajiajie, a magic place gifted by the nature; Yueyang,
famous for the Yueyang Tower and the Dongting Lake; Taoyuan, one
of the most beautiful fairy lands; Mt. Hengshan, one of the most
four famous mountains in China. Changsha, the capital of Hunan,
is one of the historical and cultural cities. Shaoshan is the
birthplace of Mao Zedong and so on.
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 Lying
on the northwest of Hunan, Zhajiajie is recognized as "a rarely
charming belle in the boudoir" by the famous Chinese painter Wu
Guanzhong. Zhajiajie is the first National Forest Park in China
featured by its unique hills, queer ridges and peaks, tranquil valleys,
thrilling streams and abundant plant and animal resources.
As the maze
of nature, Zhajiajie is full of spiffy spots, such as the grotesque
Zhajiajie Forest Park (including the breathtaking Cloud-picking
Terrace, the outstripping Yellow Lion Village, the great Golden
Whip Crag, the clear Golden Whip Stream, the dilapidated walls of
Yangjiajie), the impressive Mt. Tianzi, the singular Suoxi Gully,
the beautiful Maoyan River, the stalwart Mt. Tianmen, and the supernatural
Jiutian Cave.
In addition,
the tourists take great delight in taking about the Puguang Temple,
Yuhuang Cave and some other great human attractions as well as the
appealing customs of the local ethnic people. Zhangjiajie also abounds
in many rare plants and flowers, including the Chinese dove tree,
Chinese tulip tree, ginkgo and five-color flower.
Zhangjiajie
Forest Park
"Most peaks in Zhangjiajie demonstrate more abrupt contour than
the legacy presented in America and Australia. Spectacular and irregular
stone forests, luxuriantly green vegetation as well as clear lakes,
streams, and very impressive karst caves and underground rivers
are possessed of and undeniable beauty."
----International Nature and Natural Resources Protection Union
Suoxi
Gully
Suoxi Gully is renowned for its queen peaks, clear waters, mystery
caves and deep valleys. The attractions include Huanglong Cave,
Baofeng Lake, Ten-li Corridor, West Sea, Shengtangwan and Suoxi
Gully.
Mt. Tianzi
Whenever mention the picturesque Mt. Tianzi, the tourists would
think about the unique four wonders, the sea of cloud, the harmony
of rosy clouds and the sun, the shadow under the moon and the foggy
pine in the winter.
Key attractions
in Zhangjiajie are Laoren Peak, Huanglong Spring, Longwang Cave,
Lake of Heaven, Xianren Bridge, Shezi Cliff, Yubi Peak and Qianceng
Cliff
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 Dongting
Lake covers an area of 2,820 sq km and is the 2nd largest freshwater
lake in China. Located in the mid reaches of the Yangtze River,
the lake extends between Hunan and Hubei provinces. Fringed with
reeds and lotus ponds, the magical lake is known as the setting
of many traditional fairy tales and legends.
On the banks
of the lake are many villages with paddy fields and cane fields.
But the main livelihood for many villagers is still fishing. The
graceful Yueyang Tower is also found on the eastern banks of the
lake.
There are several
islands on the lake, the most famous being Junshan Island, known
for its silver needle tea.
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