The Laosi ruins, known as China's Pompeii,located in the Hunan Province, include ancient tombs, pavilions, streets, walls and stone sculptures -- more than 12,000 relics in all.Archeologists have recently concluded a two-year excavation of the site, and found the town that existed between 1135 and 1728 has an urban layout with a road network and complete drainage system.Laosi represents the Culture of Yongshun Tusi Regime, which was a special system that ancient Chinese dynasties applied to rule ethnic groups in certain regions by granting hereditary titles to local leaders.Laosi was the political and economic center of the region, which is today's Xiangxi Tujia Autonomous Prefecture, from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.The cultural authority in central China's Hunan province, home to the ruins, said it will urge China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage to add Laosi to a tentative list of Chinese attractions for which the central body is aiming to get UNESCO recognition.Exquisitesculptures are seen at a stone bridge.Sourced from China.org.cn,arranged by Aileen

News 2012-07-20 00:36 View：1901

From 15th,July on, Fenghuang, an ancient town in West Hunan, has received torrential rains continuously . Rain capacity stands at 116.6mm from last night to 8 o’clock this morning, and the water level rising to 1.36m, parts of bars ,inns ,and some boating programs are forced to suspend . Heavy rain goes on so far. The town has released water through its sluice gate for the sake of safetyThis morning, the Golden Water Bridge of Tuo River is streamed with people, with water close to it . The scenic spots along the river are drowned by water and the boards on the bridge are floating over it.  Pedestrians have already been unable to walk through it but to stand nearby.Meanwhile, the railings of boating spots on the north gate of Tuo River, wharfs are all inundated and the business is closed temporarily. The water has impended over to the basements of some bars, inns in low topographyIn order to prevent the flood safely, the governors of Fenghuang have released water through their sluice gate and strengthened its capacity of control the flood to ensure the safety of the people and property downstream . They have placed warning sighs to make sure the security of the pass-bys. Rains will remain in Fenghuang in the upcoming two days.The precipitation of Fenghuang in west Hunan reaches 116.6mm at 8 o’clock this morning of, 17th,July, and the water level hikes to 1.36m from last evening Parts of the bars ,inns adjacent to Tuo River and the boating programs are compelled to suspend their business temporarilyTranslated by Brenda Source from Rnol, Xiaoxiang Morning Post

News 2012-07-20 00:02 View：1542

With the purpose of respond to the tourist subject that put forward by National Tourism Administration—joyful and healthy visit in 2012, integrate tourist industry, cultural industry and fitness industry of the elderly, and also create a full bodied atmosphere for the old cultural tourism, Zhangjiajie will soon receive the first Chinese international cultural tourism festival for the old from September 20th to September 25th. Together with the Chinese elder tourism association, Zhangjiajie tourism association gave the great honor to this city Zhangjiajie for its out-of-print natural landscape. On the occasion, viewers will see the parade consists of the middle-aged and elder art troupe all over the world in company with the local elder art troupe in Zhangjiajie trunk road. By means of giving various performances that full of chic, local color as well as national characteristics, the participants will easily sense old people’s vigor, optimism and fitness. At the same time, we can set up a good image for the elder cultural tourism festival and welcome the convening of the 18th National People’s Congress.Translated by Becky

News 2012-07-19 23:57 View：1630

Among these years’ ceaseless development, Hunan scenic spots mainly present two traits: (1) universal coverage of high grade scenic spots; (2) diversity. Up to now, every city in Hunan has its national 4A scenic spots. In the following 3 years, Hunan will keep on adding a hundred more national scenic areas. According to statistics, at present, Hunan province has already had 184 high level scenic spots totally, including 6 5A areas , 55 4A areas and 86 3A areas. Meanwhile, management services level also witness remarkably improvement in Hunan scenic spots. Hunan earnestly implements related management regulations, puts the dynamic management into practice and deals with all kinds of lawsuit in time. If an obvious quality and satisfaction degree reduction are found during the re-checking round, the scenic spots level will be cancelled or dropped stoutly. In addition, press will give those spots bulletin and announcement. That means every acquirement of the scenic spots level is not perpetual, it asks for continuous maintaining all the time. In the long run, Hunan will launch the tourism projects construction based on “251 major tourist project”, eco-cultural tourism in western Hunan as well as Xiang River ecological economics. Changsha and Zhangjiajie are going to be built into international tourism destination cities as soon as possible. What’s more, Hunan will offer priority to change Shaoshan, Hengshan, Fenghuang, Yueyang Tower, Langshan, Emperor Yandi Mausoleum and Emperor ShunDi Mausoleum to international tourism destination spots. By 2015, we are striving to make our projects come true.Translated by Becky

News 2012-07-18 23:52 View：1259

Recently, experts from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage conducted a field trip in Hunan's Tongdao Dong Autonomous County to investigate the Dong Village's applying for the World Cultural Heritage.Tongdao, dotted with a large number of distinctive ancient villages and buildings, is one of the sites with best-preserved cultural heritage of Dong minority. In order to support Tongdao Dong Villages' applying for World Cultural Heritage, the first one in Hunan province, the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and Hunan Provincial Government have brought the application into Hunan's "12th Five-Year Plan" and established a special team to offer human resources, materials and financial aids. An office was established by Tongdao County to better protect and manage the "Hundred-mile Dong Culture Gallery" as well as the renovation of Dong villages.Tongdao also conducts studies on Dong village culture by cooperating with universities like Tsinghua University and launching cultural exchange activities. Additionally, over 20 series of books on Dong culture have been published. Citizens are also encouraged to contribute to the application. Translator: Chen BingSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-07-18 23:40 View：1084

On July 18, the 2012 China (Yueyang) Wild Lotus Tourism Festival was held in Junshan, Yueyang City. Opening ceremony of the 2012 China (Yueyang) Wild Lotus Tourism Festival This festival includes such activities as opening ceremony, folk culture performance, 2012 lotus fairies selection, contract signing of economy and trade projects as well as photography competition on scenery and folk culture of Junshan. The highlight of the festival lies in its distinctive folk culture, including "the lotus fairy's talent show on the T-shaped stage", and two original folk songs "Leledong" and "Brother and Sister Gather Lotuses Together". The famous Chinese singer Chen Sisi sang "Love Song of Naxi" and "The Beautiful Road" on site and the poetry "Enjoying Flourishing Lotuses is a Must in Junshan" was recited by two actors Kang Zhuang and Du Ninglin. The folk culture performance, consisting of three parts, namely "source of lotus", "love of lotus" and "charm of lotus", shows a flourishing China and ecologically splendid scenery of the Dongting Lake area, a land of fish and rice. The performance of folk song "Leledong" Lotus fairies' fashion show on T-shaped stage Translator: Huang JuanSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-07-18 23:36 View：2099

From 12 to 13, Four foreign participants who had took part in the 11 th "Chinese bridge" of the World University Chinese Competition came to the zhangjiajie wulingyuan scenic spot. They decided to carry out core activities of cultural experience. Hunan satellite TV crew filmed the whole procedure.The four players are from Britain, Belgium, Australia and Madagaskar. They took a group of exteriors in the YuanGuJie scenic spot, then enjoying tujia minority cultural experience activities such as SangZhi folk, songs of crying marriage."Chinese bridge" the World College Students Chinese Competition was a large international Chinese game. It was sponsored by the Chinese national hanban. Since 2002, it has been successfully held ten periods, from more than 70 countries nearly 100000 players involved. Overseas young students through the game show, sharing the success and happiness of learning Chinese. And more than 1000 excellent participants came to china to attend the semi-finals and the final competition. As the star brand of promoting Chinese, "Chinese bridge" is called Chinese "Olympic", which has become the the platform of Chinese learners to exchange learning experience and show learning outcomes. This year's 11 th Chinese bridge game was held by hunan satellite TV for the whole, there were more than 120 players around the world come to changsha.Translated by Sophia

News 2012-07-17 23:46 View：1430

The 2012 World’s Top Limit Challenge of Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie--- Jean-Yves Blondeau, French, a unique “rollerman “in the world planned to challenge the No.1 Road of the world , the twisted road of Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie in May,2012. However, the date was delayed by various factors and changed to next Sunday, 22nd,July. He will be the first rollerman who challenges the high-risk mountainous highway.Jean-Yves Blondeau, a graduate from a design school in Paris, France, invented a type of skating clothes with 31 wheels. Apart from the wheels under his plantar, the rollers under his prothorax, back , elbows and knees enable him to skate in different forms like a transformer.Last year he skated from the peak of Alps in Switzerland at a speed of 70 m/h, which even exceeded the motorbike driving on the road. Nevertheless , compared with Alps, the twisted road of Tianmen Mountain differ greatly due to 99 sharp turns-big slope, speedy camber, great danger. Succeed or not? we will see next Sunday.Translated by Brenda

News 2012-07-17 23:41 View：1990