Guangdong Special :Award: 'Best Natural Eco-Tourism Festival'
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The Cukeng village in Jiexi was named the most beautiful village in the province. Provided to China Daily |
JIEXI, Guangdong - During a mid-May forum on tourism development in Beijing, experts from several national associations voted to name a gala event in Jiexi county "China's Best Natural Eco-Tourism Festival".
Jiexi has sponsored three eco-tourism and culture festivals since 2005 with the most recent in 2009.
The events promote the county's bountiful tourism resources and also court investment to accelerate development of other industries and boost overall economic development.
"The honor speaks for the brand value of the county's tourism resources," said Wu Yumin, Party secretary of the county and head of the county government "It will help build the reputation of Jiexi nationwide."
The award followed an honor from Guangdong provincial government early this year that termed it "an exemplary county for comprehensive tourism reform".
Only nine cities, districts or counties in Guangdong won the provincial honor
"We will cherish the honors and take good advantage of them for faster development of the tourism industry."
Jiexi will now invite in trade delegations and media to promote the county, the official added.
The county has a mixture of Chaozhou and Hakka cultures amid rich hilly scenery and spots of historical interest.
The county has about 200 scenic attractions in addition to 12 hot spring resorts.
Its natural attractions include the State-level Dabei Mountain Forest Park, Shinei River Glacier Relics and Dayang Golf Course, the only 18-hole mountainous golf course in China.
Its waterfalls include Huangmanqi Waterfall and Longtan Waterfall, both among the largest in South China along with hot springs in Dongxingbu village and Wujingfu township.
The 2,000-year-old Three-Mountain King Ancestral Temple, listed among the province's intangible cultural heritage, is a religious destination for pilgrims from China and Southeast Asia
The county also boasts relics of ancient buildings in Mianhu township and agricultural tourism offerings at Jingming Hotspring Resort and Longyuan Eco-Park.
(China Daily 06/01/2011 page20)
