In Mid-Autumn Festival, the scenery is engaging. During the “super golden week” of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the second Huaihua City Tourism Development Conference, Yuanling County has become a popular destination. With green mountains and clear waters, it is full of poetical sensation, which attract streams of sightseers.
During the “double festivals” period, tourists from all directions rush toward Yuanling in admiration. Longxing Lecture Temple, Wang Yangming’s “Conscientious” Huxi Academy, Eryou Mountain of the Chinese Book Mountain, Jiemu Stream—the acclaimed Jiuzhaigou Scenic Spot in Hunan, Youshui Gallery, Chenlongguan Tea Tourism Integration Industrial Park and other scenic spots and attractions, become a must-visit place for tourists. The county has also introduced multiple heartwarming service measures and launched various collaborative activities to promote the continuous increase in tourism popularity, allowing tourists to enjoy themselves.
(Overlook of the night view of Longxing Lecture Temple from Huxi Academy Photo by Qu Yun)
Cultural tourism continues to be popular.
“Wandering through the Fusheng Library and the Chinese cultural heritages, one will totally feel the trip truly worthwhile!” On October 4th, 2023, on the Eryou Mountain in the Chinese Book Mountain, Li Bin, a tourist from Shenzhen, with a family of 7 people, surmounted the 345th level of the knowledge ladder and arrived at the “Ancient Library”, devoutly paying homage to the Fusheng statue. Li Bin stated that he had previously visited some famous mountains and rivers in his homeland. However, his visit to Yuanling was the most impressive. The cultural seeds here radiate the brilliance of national culture, and the mountains and rivers have their unique charm.
On that day, a tourist group from Hubei Province arrived at the foot of Eryou Mountain. There were both over 80 year old people and a large number of students in the team, who supported each other step by step toward the “Book Heaven Gate”.
“At that time, Fu Sheng, a doctoral official in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), went through countless hardships to collect books here, which allowed the Chinese culture to survive. It deserves people to pay tribute to the difficulty of collecting books and the hardships of the study journey.” With the help of his grandson who was in junior high school, Mr. Song, a tourist in his 60s, gradually surmounted the ladder of 345 level of “Book Heaven Gate”.
In front of the “Ancient Library” stone plaque personally proposed by Zhang Xiangjia, the Hunan inspector of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), Dai Junqi, a tourist from Guzhang County, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, and his family of four, took photos and checked in on the historic site. In front of the Fusheng statue, many tourists burned incense and knelt down, praying their children a success in their studies and be ranked on the gold list.
At the foot of the Book Mountain, the author encountered Zhang Yunxiao, the Secretary of the Party Committee of Eryou Miao Township. As he introduced, since the opening ceremony, there has been an endless stream of tourists visiting Eryou Mountain in the Chinese Book Mountain. The township party committee and government carefully formulated a tourism service guarantee plan before the festival, and assigned Chen Hongfu, Deputy Township Mayor, to lead some staff members to join hands with the Eryou Police Station and Traffic Police Squadron to command traffic and guide tourists to climb the mountain for worship. The scene was in good order.
“It deserves us to visit the Chinese Book Mountain Exhibition Hall, taste the Enlightenment Spring of the Book Mountain, climb the Book Collection Avenue, and enter the Book Collection Cave to experience the dialogue of time and space, and travel through ancient and modern times. Mr. Huang Yongyu, who signed the calligraphy of the Chinese Book Mountain in Wanjuanyan, lived a rural life of farming, reading, and managing a household in Eryou Village. Searching for nostalgia in dreams, this route is not only a journey of water style, but also a trip of historical and cultural roots,” said Chen Wenmin, the head of Yuanling County Culture and Tourism Investment Company.
The scenes fall into sight with steps forward. Scenic spots such as Longxing Lecture Temple, Huxi Academy, and Chenzhou Ancient Street are another popular tourist destination for cultural tourism during the “Double Festival” period.
(Huxi Academy reproduces Wang Yangming’s lecture scene. Photo by Qu Yun)
With the night falls, the Longxing Lecture Temple is ablaze with brilliant lights, and the melodies of the Chenhe High Tune are widely spread, reviving the vitality of the millennium old temple. At Huxi Academy, with the sound of lute and ancient clanging, the renowned scholar Zhang Yuan, and the cultural figure Wang Yangming, wrote books and delivered lectures in the lecture hall. Thus tourists were mesmerized. Standing at the high building of Huxi Academy, looking up at the Yuanjiang River, the brilliant lights are seen to be reflected upon the sparkling Yuanshui River. On the gray-stone slabs of the ancient street in Chenzhou echoed the footsteps of crowds, and rows of antique “Yuanling Styled” shops were thriving in business.
Landscape tourism is rapidly heating up.
Yuanling has a rich cultural history and an endless range of beautiful landscapes. During the “Double Festival” period, Jiemu Stream, Youshui Gallery, Chenzhou Three Pagodas, Fengtan Hydropower Plant, Fenghuangshan National Forest Park, Chenlongguan Tea Tourism Integration Industrial Park, etc. have become tourists’ “new favorites”.
The Jiemu Stream not only has a natural primitive secondary forest, but is also endowed with a romantic story. This is one of the observation points for the Second Huaihua Tourism Development Conference.
(Tourists experience the scenery of the Jiemu Stream. Photo by Song Lihua)
On October 3rd, 2023, Zhang Wencong, a tourist from Hengyang, Hunan, accompanied 17 relatives on a self-driving tour to check in the Jiemu Stream. They preferred the ancient village of Qiantangwan. At the foot of Wuzhi Mountain, the drizzle in Qiantang Bay is hazy, which has been silent for thousands of years. The wooden houses, gray tiles, hanging attic, and unique Tujia fireworks attract Mr. Zhang and his team to have a sojourn here. The negative oxygen ions in the primitive forest make people feel refreshed. Along the renovated hiking trail, tourists can see the clear and bottomless streams, listen to the chirping of birds and insects in nature, and have a poetic and picturesque view.
“When tourists leave the Jiemu Stream and board the luxurious cruise ship at the county ferry, admire the Three Pagodas of Chenzhou, and enjoy the scenery on both sides of the Yuanjiang River, it seems another world. Although I have been to the Lijiang River and taken a passenger ship, the water and night scenery here is even more engaging,” said Mr. Zhang, a tourist, quite at ease.
(Tourists are checking in the Mother Stream. Photo by Song Lihua)
“We have focused on launching a water upstream route, which is a boutique route from the county seat to the upstream of Eryou Mountain in Zhonghua Book Mountain.” Chen Wenmin, the person in charge of Yuanling County Cultural and Tourism Investment Company, introduced that this route uses cruise ships as the carrier and Zhonghua Book Mountain as the destination. Tourists on cruise ships can experience the natural scenery and folk customs of the Yuanjiang River and Youshui River. Along the way, they can meet old fishing boats and wooden rafts, and pass through Wendu. Tourists can also perform bamboo pole dance and Tujia hand waving dance together at the “Jiuzi Inspiration Square” in Shipailou. It is reported that since the trial operation began on September 28th, as of October 5th, a total of 240,000 cruise ship tourists and those from the Zhonghua Book Mountain Scenic Area have been received.
(Tourists visiting the Eryou Mountain Scenic Area of Zhonghua Book Mountain. Photo by Qu Yun)
Recently, the Hujiaxi Ancient Village in Mingxikou Town has been flooded with waves of tourists, who are enjoying the scenery and tea at the hometown of the Tang Dynasty Tea Concubine.
“These days, I have been busy from morning to night preparing meals and tea for the guests.” Hu Ying, the owner of the ancient village “Datang Fengjiao” farm, is busy and happy. There are many tourists, and the business of the farm is booming. Boss Hu personally goes to the market to stir fry vegetables. The authentic Tujia cuisine and ancient scenery make tourists linger in this land.
The business of the neighboring “Zhaocai Farm” is also prosperous. Boss Hu Mianjin told me that since the holiday, there have been more than ten tables every day, and the local specialties such as local honey and chopped chili sold in the Chunyan store across from the farm are in short supply.
Improve Security Capabilities
This holiday, Yuanling tourism has become popular, and behind it lies the strong leadership and advanced planning of the Yuanling County Committee and Government, as well as the strong support from various departments and townships.
Seize Valuable Opportunities
This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day super golden week is a valuable opportunity to shine on the tourism brand of Yuanling once again after the successful hosting of the city wide tourism development conference in Yuanling. In response, Yuanling seized the driving effect of the tourism development conference and planned traditional cultural performances, free Yuanling cuisine, photo taking and check-in activities for the public around the county town’s Longxing Lecture Temple, Chenzhou Ancient Street, Zhonghua Book Mountain, Jiemu Stream and other high-quality tourism routes, comprehensively improving and enriching the tourism industry in the scenic area. The tourism market is becoming increasingly popular.
Create an Eight-Day Celebration
While checking in on the scenic spots, tourists can enjoy mass cultural and sports activities such as the Music Fountain Show, Chenhe High Tune Exhibition, the “Splendid Chenzhou” National Essence Beijing Opera Performance, the “Book Fragrance Millennium” Folk Music Performance, Traditional Hanfu Show, Self- Service Singing Bar, and Online Celebrity Check in. At the same time, one can participate in guessing lantern riddles and winning awards for the “Chinese Nation, One Family, Working Together to Build the Chinese Dream” quiz, creating a strong atmosphere for people of all ethnic groups to celebrate the festival of “Chinese Book Mountain for Yuanling Meeting”.
Possess Service Guarantee
During the “Double Festival” holiday, guests can enjoy 20% discount at the Mother Stream Tourist Center Hotel. Wearing Chinese clothing to enter the park checking in the Jiemu Stream, one can enjoy a stylistic lunch for free. The township also arranges volunteers to provide services and organizes teams for patrols, providing necessary assistance to tourists. County towns such as Longxing Lecture Temple and Huxi Academy will arrange volunteer interpreters to provide free explanations and guidance for visitors. It also expands the free temporary parking lot in the Eryou Mountain Scenic Area and arranges safety patrols and guides. All hotels, guesthouses, catering stores, shopping malls, and supermarkets in the county operate with integrity and do not increase prices or overcharge customers. Parking lots in government agencies, enterprises, and public institutions are open for free.
At the same time, the police force of the county public security bureau deployed police on the streets and carried out rotational patrols. It is on duty during special police patrols, strictly implement the “1.3.5” rapid response machine, and the village auxiliary police also join the patrol team to carry out armed patrols on key roads, areas, and parts. Each township police station shall conduct regular public security inspections on nine small places in its jurisdiction, including hotels, internet cafes, and restaurants. The traffic police brigade continues to increase the intensity of road inspections on passenger vehicles, and has launched a “white+black” mode. They have arranged for civilian auxiliary police to set up checkpoints on important sections of the urban area, strictly check the drunk driving, and remind drivers to be well mannered and drive safely.
(Safeguarding the festival and holiday Photo by Shu Sha)
According to statistics, Yuanling County, since the holiday, has received over 80,000 tourists per day. Among them, the single day tour of the Eryou Mountain Scenic Area in Zhonghua Book Mountain has continuously exceeded 30,000 views, while the night tour in Yuanjiang and the ancient street in Chenzhou have become new popular check-in points. The occupancy rate of star rated hotel rooms in the county has reached over 90%.
In the next move, Yuanling will take advantage of the popularity of the Tourism Development Conference and the “Double Festival” tourism, highlighting the quality construction of scenic spots, the implantation of business formats, and the construction of interpretation services, making Yuanling tourism more attractive and truly the goal of “hosting meetings to prosper the city, and setting up samples”.
(Translated by Tian Xia)