As the national practice and innovation base of the development concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, the innovation demonstration zone for Chenzhou’s implementation of the national sustainable development agenda, and the hub of Hunan’s connection with the tourism industry of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Zixing City has steadfastly prioritized ecology and green development, organically combined ecological protection with tourism development, constantly strengthened the cultural tourism industry and injected impetus into the high-quality development of county economy.

 

In August 1986, with the fall of the huge iron gate weighing 240 tons at the Dongjiang Dam, Zixing started a magnificent development process of its tourism.

 

After more than 30 years of development, the Dongjiang Lake has gained great fame and become the only tourist attraction in Hunan Province with the titles of a national 5A scenic area, a national scenic area, a national ecological tourism demonstration area, a national forest park, a national wetland park and a national water conservancy scenic area. The scenery of the Dongjiang Lake has attracted wide attention around the world.

 

In order to realize the green transformation and development of the county economy, Zixing City has developed the tourism as a pillar industry.

 

On the premise of ecological protection, with the Dongjiang Lake Scenic Area as the core, it has combined the natural scenery, red resources and special cultural areas, comprehensively implemented the “tourism plus” or “plus tourism” projects to promote the integration of tourism and culture, sports, industry, agriculture and wellness, and constantly enrich new tourism forms.

 

Efforts have been made to integrate cultural venues and tourism resources, guide market entities to develop cultural and creative products, tap the potential of integration of industry and tourism, and launch such tourist activities as Tsingtao Beer culture experience tour, Chenzhou-Zixing-Xujiadong Town railway nostalgia tour and popular science tour of mining industry.

 

Meanwhile, the projects of such scenic areas as the Huilong Mountain, the Swan Mountain, Liuhua Bay and Dongjiang Bay have been completed. Special tourist towns have been built, including Bailang lakeside town, Qingjiang citrus town and Tangxi hot spring town. The all-for-one tourism pattern has been formed.

 

Zixing has also encouraged villages and towns to carry out cultural and tourism activities such as Liaojiang Rape Flower Festival, Bailang Peach Flower Festival and Qingjiang Citrus Festival according to their resource characteristics to build special cultural and tourism brands. It has vigorously implemented the construction of beautiful villages, and promoted the standardized, orderly and healthy development of leisure tourism and boutique homestay industries.

 

It has held large-scale activities, like Tour of China Cycling Race, Dongjiang River Marathon, Dongjiang River International Invitational Dragon Boat Race and China (Hunan) International Tourism Culture Festival, which helped it enjoy greater popularity and reputation.

 

With the increasing popularity of all-for-one tourism, Dongjiang Bay City Park, Liuhua Bay and the forest adventure in the Swan Mountain have attracted more and more tourists to admire the unique scenery of Zixing.

 

This year, Zixing has implemented 17 cultural and tourism projects, including tourism infrastructure construction of Dongjiang Bay and Dongjiang Lake.

 

Among them, Dongjiang fish three-industry integration industry chain project and Zixing Tsingtao Beer culture experience center project were awarded excellent projects of Chenzhou Tourism Development Conference, comprehensively helping upgrade the city’s cultural and tourism industry.

 

It has actively promoted the construction of Guidong-Xintian Expressway to solve the traffic problems of Dongjiang Lake Scenic Area, and built North Dongjiang Lake Tourist Center and Dongjiang Lake Huanhu Road Phase III to improve the carrying capacity of the scenic area.

 

Meanwhile, Zixing has taken many measures to invite enterprises to invest in the city, in an effort to promote the recovery of the tourism market against the background of regular epidemic prevention and control.

 

Since June this year, it has launched such promotional activities as Dongjiang River annual tourist card and admission tickets for “the Dongjiang River+hotel” and special programs and experience projects like “Dongjiang flower moon night” and “winter swimming in summer”, which have greatly stimulated the tourism market.

 

Today, there is 1 national 5A scenic area, 1 provincial tourist resort, 4 national 3A scenic areas, 1 national boutique sports tourism scenic area, 1 national pilot forest wellness base, 1 provincial special cultural and tourism town and 2 provincial industrial tourism demonstration sites in Zixing City.

 

The number of tourists received and tourism income have increased year by year. Tourism has become an important growth point for the county economy.