Funeral dance, an ancient ceremonial dance at the funeral which is endemic to Tujia people,especially areas around Qing river waters.Popular as the waving dance is, funeral dance also heated welcomed by Tujia people. The fact is only men not women can be allowed to performance funeral dance. The dance movements all take birds and animals as imitating models,that is,continuously shake your whole body and sway your haunch at a side-to-side movement with your hands shaking freely.Funeral dance is a presentation of daring beauty.As the history goes,since Tang dynasty ,the ancestors of Tujia people already had the record of funeral dance.Till today, every time there is a old one passed away,the relatives and neighbors of him/her will gather together to have a funeral dance .Generally speaking,two men or four stand in front of the coffin to have a face-to -face dance ,then more and more men will join in ,usually the peak hits over hundreds of dancers and audience.Not only the dances but also the songs to fully display the beauty of funeral dance.Both the dances and songs create a happy and joyful atmosphere .In closing ,all the performers will say "sadness are gone" in one voice to express their wishes of removing sorrows.As usual, funeral dance is the ceremony held for those old ones who died a well-deserved death.Soured and Translated by Aileen

News 2012-06-02 23:40 View：1331

At the launch ceremony, ten beauties of the last contest present a Hanfu (a traditional Han Chinese clothing style) show."2012 Miss Tourism of the Globe" Hunan Zone was launched in Changsha Longchamp Garden Hotel on May 30. The international competition of "Miss Tourism" was initiated by Charlie TTMM, president of the American Hollywood Festival of Beauty Organization in 1917. Themed with "Tourism, Beauty, Fashion and Harmony", the event aims to popularize tourism culture of each city as well as to promote the development of tourism. It is included in the world's top four tourism beauty contests, with the other three being Miss Tourism Planet, Miss Tourism International and World Urban Tourism Miss.Translator: Wu LirongSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-06-01 20:47 View：1720

The traditional baijiayan (collective feasts) of the Dong minority group has become a profitable tourism product for people in Linxi of?Sanjiang Dong autonomous county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The local Dong people have attracted 110,000 tourists with their feasts, which bring 6 million yuan ($947,747.52) in returns. Also known as "gather-up feast" and "long-table feast", baijiayan is a unique custom of the Dong minority, where local residents gather together to treat guests with a collective feast. For Dongs, it is the most honorable rite of hospitality, which dates back hundreds of years. Source: China Daily

News 2012-05-31 20:50 View：1570

The seventh Chinese Corner in Japan was established in Nagoya on May 27. Zhu Xinjian, vice chairman of the Association of Hunan People in Japan as well as a teacher at Aichi College was appointed representative of this Chinese corner. Duan Yuezhong, pioneer of the Chinese corner in Tokyo, director of the Japanese Jiang Jie Association of Hunan People and representative of the Chinese Corner in Yokohama attended the establishment ceremony.The Corner attracted not only the Japanese and Chinese from all walks of life in Nagoya, but also caught attention of numerous Vietnamese students.Mr. Zhu briefed about the establishment process of the Chinese Corner, after which some Japanese friends introduced themselves in both Chinese and Japanese. Duan introduced Chinese Corners in Tokyo, Urawa, Kodaira, Hiroshima, Kashima and Yokohama. He expected more support in the hope of establishing 100 Chinese corners in Japan.Translator: Hao JingruSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-05-30 21:00 View：1378

Themed as "Witness the Establishment of Chaling Soviet Government", the 2012 China (Hunan) Red Tourism Festival was launched in the former site of Chaling soviet government--the first county-level soviet government on May 30. At the opening ceremony, an art show was displayed, which was divided into three chapters, i.e. "Establish Red Chaling (Soviet Government)", "Witness Happy Hunan", "Experience Wonderful China". Famous singers Jiang Dawei, Liu Yizhen and Lin Yilun staged and led the art show to a climax. At the festival, 100 new couples had a group wedding ceremony in Yunyang Mountain. Xiong Jian, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Tourism Bureau, witnessed their marriage. These new couples from all over the province had enrolled for the group wedding ceremony after seeing the solicitation notice broadcast by major media since mid-April. After the art show, the promotion meeting of Chaling Tourism Products & Investment Projects was held in National Forest Park Yunyang Mountain. Three key tourism investment projects were signed including the Yunyang Mountain International Outward Bound Center Project. Twenty-five professional tea enterprises from all over the country signed the settling-in agreement. Lu Jianping, director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, officially declared the opening of the festival. Vice governor He Baoxiang hosted the opening ceremony. Chen Junwen, secretary of the CPC Zhuzhou Municipal Committee and Wang Qun, mayor of Zhuzhou, attended the ceremony. Translator: Zhan PingSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-05-30 20:53 View：1860

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao （R, front） waves to tea pickers at the Shutouxi Village of Guzhang County in the Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, central China's Hunan province, May 25, 2012. Wen made an inspection tour to Xiangxi from May 25 to 27, conducting a survey on poverty alleviation and development work in poverty-stricken areas. （Xinhua/Pang Xinglei）Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao （3rd L, front） talks with local villagers at the old house, built in 1957, of Wu Jiayu, an 88-year old villager, at the Lixin Village of Huayuan County in the Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, central China's Hunan province, May 26, 2012. Wen made an inspection tour to Xiangxi from May 25 to 27, conducting a survey on poverty alleviation and development work in poverty-stricken areas.Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said more attention should go to development-oriented poverty reduction in the country and also to further improving the livelihoods of Chinese living in poverty.Although China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction, arduous efforts are needed as the issue of unbalanced development among regions and between the country's urban and rural areas is still prominent, Wen said during his three-day inspection tour of Hunan province that ended Sunday.Wen said more efforts were needed to promote infrastructure construction, push forward tourism industry development, and improve the quality of education and public health-care services in poverty-stricken areas.Wen also called for better work to protect the local environment and develop the circular economy.During his tour, Wen visited local residents of ethnic minority groups in the Wuling Mountain area and called for more support in policy, funding and project planning for the area, which involves the four provincial regions of Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing and Guizhou and a population of over 36 million.Source:xinhuanet.com

News 2012-05-29 23:56 View：1400

Hunan Huaxia Technology Investment Co., Ltd and Wulingyuan Tourism Development Co., Ltd signed a cooperation agreement to co-build a tourist service center. A great Xiangxi golden tourist corridor, developed by the former, is taking shape. With a total investment of 300 million yuan, the service center integrating ethnic features with modern services will be completed in two years at the entrance of beautiful Wulingyuan Scenic Area which is honored as "world natural heritage". To the north of Suoxi River, it is backed by mountains and fronts towns. "The construction of the service center is an expression of my love towards my hometown," said Zhong Fei, president of Hunan Huaxia Technology Investment Co., Ltd. Via the combination of buildings and ground pavement and landscaping layout, the service center will be developed into a theme culture square featuring comprehensive services, culture exhibitions, cultural leisure experience, large-scale public activities, etc. Translator: Lv Xuefen Source: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-05-28 23:54 View：1368

Premier Wen Jiabao visits the workers for the Aizhai Long-span Suspension Bridge in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, on May 26, 2012. Children present their self-drawn picture to Premier Wen Jiabao at a primary school in Guzhang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, on May 25, 2012. Premier Wen Jiabao learns weaving skills with great interest from local people of ethnic minority groups in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, on May 26, 2012.  Premier Wen Jiabao conducted a survey on poverty alleviation and development work in the poverty-stricken areas of Guzhang County, Jishou City and Huayuan County in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province from May 25 to 27. During his tour, Premier Wen visited villages, farmers, schools, and enterprises in the Wuling Mountain area to have a good understanding of local residents' production and life. Translator: Lv XuefenSource: Hunan Official Web Portal

News 2012-05-28 23:49 View：1314