Government policies rejuvenating province's renowned tourism industry

Hunan, a province with some of the richest tourism resources in China, boasts stunning natural beauty and abundant cultural heritage. It was selected as one of the Top 10 Best-Value Destinations in the World by Lonely Planet magazine in 2018.

From the Tuojiang River flowing through Fenghuang Ancient Town in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, the misty and picturesque Dongjiang Lake in Zixing, Chenzhou, and the maple forests of Zhangjiajie, to the majestic Hengshan Mountain, Hunan's magnificent natural scenery is intermingled with its long-standing history that captivates numerous literati and produces remarkable works of literature.

Hunan is also home to rich historical heritage, including the Mausoleum of Emperor Yan in Zhuzhou, known as the First Mausoleum of China, which attracts a large number of overseas Chinese annually. Famous sites such as Yueyang Tower, the temple of Qu Yuan and the Ma Wangdui ancient tomb from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) are widely recognized.

The flourishing of the thousand-year-old Yuelu Academy and Shigu Academy embody the profound history of Hunan culture. Furong Town, Yongzhou Ancient City, and Hongjiang Ancient City represent the development of southern cities in ancient China.

A cradle of modern Chinese revolution and the birthplace of Red culture, Hunan is renowned as a revolution history museum that has produced revolutionary leaders such as Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Peng Dehuai, He Long and Luo Ronghuan. A land of agricultural civilization, Hunan is home to the Chengtoushan Ancient Cultural Site, which tells the story of early Chinese settlers who practiced slash-and-burn agriculture 6,500 years ago. The Yuchanyan Site provides a record of the history of rice cultivation dating back thousands of years. The majestic Ziquejie Terraces, originating from the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties, are also located here.

The charms of Hunan are attracting an increasing number of visitors from around the Terraces, originating from the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties, are also located here.

The charms of Hunan are attracting an increasing number of visitors from around the world. In the first half of this year, it received 292 million tourists and achieved tourism revenue of 437.25 billion yuan ($60 billion), a year-on-year increase of 68.27 percent and 67.33 percent respectively.

To stimulate the cultural tourism market, Hunan has implemented a strategy of all-region tourism since last year, and holds an annual tourism industry development conference to boost consumption. On Sept 16, the second Hunan Tourism Development Conference opens in Suxian district of Chenzhou, once again bringing global attention to the beautiful and enchanting province.

At the same time, efforts have been focused on creating "five business cards" for tourism, namely the "Scenic Beauty Card" represented by Zhangjiajie, the "Classic Red Card" represented by Shaoshan, the "City Leisure Card" represented by Changsha, the "Farming Culture Card" represented by the Chengtoushan Ancient Cultural Site, and the "Historical and Cultural Card" represented by Hengshan Mountain.

To vitalize cultural tourism consumption, Hunan has introduced a series of measures to stabilize the economy, ensure growth and promote consumption, driving the rapid prosperity of the cultural tourism consumption market.

In March, the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism issued the Policies on Promoting the Recovery and Vitalization of the Cultural and Tourism Industry in Hunan Province, which introduced 20 specific measures in five areas: increasing financial support, stimulating cultural tourism market consumption, ensuring rich cultural tourism supply, strengthening cooperation and exchanges and optimizing the market environment.

Since the beginning of this year, Hunan has attached great importance to the development of inbound tourism and launched relevant incentive policies to advance the stable recovery of the inbound tourism market.

In June, the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Provincial Department of Finance jointly issued the Hunan Province Inbound Tourism Incentive Measures, which has laid a solid foundation for creating a vibrant cultural tourism market.