The 2012 Changsha Hunan Cuisine Week opens on June 23 in Changsha as a part of the 2012 Hunan Cuisine Industry Promotion Week to highlight hundreds of new Hunan dishes and special offers provided by hundreds of hotels and restaurants in the city.The event is taking place through June 30th, during which time 23 internationally acclaimed chefs, hailing from 9 countries including America, Britain, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, and Peru, will exchange cooking skills with top Hunan cuisine chefs in Changsha.Translator: Liu FenSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-23 23:56 View：1312

Photo Source Location: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Huangshi Village Scenic Area)Source: Zhangjiajie Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-23 12:51 View：4588

5th day of the 5th lunar month The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice（糯米）wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats. The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. This regatta（赛舟会）commemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)（战国时期）. He was upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified Qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of Qin. The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile（爬行动物）in the river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river. During the Duanwu Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds（莲子）, chestnuts（栗子）, pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. The pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours. The dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu's body. A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side. A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern（船尾）. A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong（铜锣）beaters and cymbal（铙钹）players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for Qu. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. The races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals. Source:Chinadaily 

News 2012-06-22 11:11 View：2346

It is learned from the "Third China Summit Forum of Consumption Economy-Slow City Forum" closed on June 16 that Fenghuang Ancient Town of Hunan was selected among the top 10 slow travel towns （cities） of China, the only one winning this honor in Hunan province.Fenghuang was chosen because of its picturesque landscapes, blazing songs of Miao nationality, cultural celerities, and harmony between man and nature.The forum promoted the internationally concerned concept of "slow city", advocating a slowed-down pace of urban life, so as to achieve a healthier, happier and more peaceful life style.Translator: Zhang MinsiSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-21 12:35 View：2142

June 15, 2012, Zhangjiajie landscape propaganda and promotion group arrived in the capital of Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur, Zhangjiajie group held exchanges and discussions with the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association and Malaysia traveling salesman.The two sides also how to make Malaysia guests faster and more convenient access to Zhangjiajie scenic spot in-depth discussion.Source: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-20 12:48 View：1814

June 17, 2012, located in the Suoxi riverside,“Wulingyuan cultural wall”129 marble sculpture version is installed in place.It will be Zhangjiajie Scenic Area a new cultural business cards and spread of culture carrier, adds a wonderful sum for the construction of Zhangjiajie international tourism and leisure resort.Source: Zhangjiajie Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-20 12:43 View：2905

Duration: June 20 to 23Place: Miluo,Yueyang City, Hunan Province According to the organizing committee, the 8th China Miluo International Dragon Boat Festival will be held on 20th June, lasting till the 23rd. Miluo is the cradle of dragon boat culture. Duanwu folk customs along the Miluo River is an important part of World’s intangible heritage—Duanwu Festival (also known as Dragon Boat Festival and the Double Fifth, a traditional and statutory holiday originating in China). Since 2005, seven international dragon boat festivals have been successively held in Miluo. This festival will strive to highlight dragon-boat festival and the folk culture along the River, to promote local tourism industry. This four-day festival will present numerous splendid cultural activities. China Eastern performing art group is scheduled to perform a themed artistic performance “the great dragon encircling” for the opening ceremony. Other themed activities include the Chinese dragon boat open tournament, large-scale national poetic situational music party called “in memory of Miluo River”, international Qu Yuan (a great Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States Period in ancient China and who immersed himself in the Miluo River)culture seminar and the opening ceremony of Qu Yuan Culture Reader. Translator: Chen Wenjuan Source: Hunan Official Web Portal 

News 2012-06-19 12:39 View：1808

The launching ceremony of German (Hunan) Trade Exhibition Center and Kempinski Hotel Changsha was held at Shuntian International Financial Center in Changsha on June 19. He Baoxiang, vice governor of Hunan Province along with some German commercial representatives, representatives of Hunan-based banks and financial institutions witnessed the grand ceremony. Shuntian Group will collaborate with leading international hotel designers and consulting companies including Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), ARUP and Schmidlin Facade Consultancy to build up a top international commercial platform. Kempinskin Hotel Changsha, the first German-styled five-star hotel in South Central China and Hunan's first German trade exhibition center, will lead a batch of famous German enterprises and top brands to seek opportunities in the new market. Translator: Guo Yan Source: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-19 12:27 View：2375