Ancient and Modern Towns, Cultural Sacred Sites (Part 2)
Section 2: County Economies, Advantageous Resources — China's First City with Citywide Direct Drinking Water Supply: Lianyuan City. Lianyuan is the first city in China to achieve citywide direct drinking water supply. The Lianyuan direct drinking water project, with a total investment of over 33.07 million yuan and a capacity of 500 tons per day, can meet the drinking water needs of 150,000-200,000 people, covering Lianyuan...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section II
County Economy, Advantageous Resources
China's First City with Universal Direct Drinking Water Built as a Whole — Lianyuan City
Lianyuan is the first city in China to have universal direct drinking water built as a whole. The Lianyuan direct drinking water project has a total investment of more than 33.07 million yuan, a construction scale of 500 tons/day, can meet the drinking water needs of 150,000-200,000 people, and its water supply covers Lianyuan's urban area and the urban-rural fringe. Citizens can drink good-tasting direct drinking water simply by turning on the tap. Lianyuan's urban dual water supply system was designed and constructed in strict accordance with national direct drinking water standards. Tested by national health authorities, the direct drinking water produced is superior to the Ministry of Construction's "Drinking Water Quality Standards," meets internationally recognized healthy water standards, and its excellent water quality fully reaches or exceeds the World Health Organization's solid drinking water standards and the United States' bottled water standards.
Hunan's First "Water-Saving City" — Changsha County
On May 10, 2009, the county seat of Changsha County was officially awarded the title of Hunan Province's first "Water-Saving City." Changsha County made many beneficial attempts to solve the problem of water conservation. By formulating normative documents on urban water supply and water conservation; deeply carrying out water-saving enterprise (unit) activities, water-saving appliances were more widely promoted and applied, and water-use processes and facilities were more rationally built and improved; by adjusting urban water prices and implementing a progressive surcharge system for excess quotas, the role of economic levers in regulating water demand was better brought into play; by accelerating the construction of sewage treatment projects, implementing "rain and sewage separation," and renovating water supply pipelines, the hardware for water supply, conservation, and sewage discharge was further improved.
Hunan's Earliest Established Ethnic Minority Autonomous County — Tongdao County
Tongdao County is located at the southernmost end of Huaihua City on the border of Hunan, at the junction of Hunan, Guangxi, and Guizhou provinces (regions). It is a key route to the great southwest of the motherland and has long been known as the "Southern Chu Frontier" and the "Throat of the Hundred Yue." The county has 21 townships and a total population of 218,300, mainly comprising 14 fraternal ethnic groups including Dong, Han, Miao, and Yao, among which the Dong account for 78.3% of the total population. In May 1954, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County was established. It is the earliest established ethnic minority autonomous county in Hunan Province and the second autonomous county established in the country.
Hunan's Most Famous General County — Pingjiang County
Pingjiang County is located in the northeastern part of Hunan Province, on the upper reaches of the Mi River and Luo River. Pingjiang is a red hot land. During the revolutionary war period, Pingjiang was one of the centers of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base Area, and the famous Pingjiang Uprising took place here. For the birth of New China, 250,000 outstanding sons and daughters sacrificed their lives here, among whom more than 21,000 were rated as revolutionary martyrs, accounting for one-fifth of Hunan's total. More than 60 generals of the Republic, including Su Zhenhua, Zhang Zhen, Fu Qiutao, and Zhong Qiguang, came from here, making it one of the nationally famous "General Counties."
China's Silver Capital — Yongxing County
Yongxing is located in the southeastern part of Hunan Province and is a famous "hometown of smelting." In 2002, it was named "China's Silver Capital" by the World Silver Association and the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association. The county has more than 6,000 households engaged in the recovery and smelting of gold and silver from "three wastes," with more than 20,000 employees, annually recovering 4 million grams of gold and 600 tons of silver, with an output value of more than 200 million yuan. It is the only county approved by the head office of the People's Bank of China to sell gold and silver products recovered from "three wastes" on its own.
Central-South China's Iron Capital — Qidong County
Qidong is rich in iron ore, with proven iron reserves of more than 1.5 billion tons. Relying on iron ore resources and making every effort to build the first pillar industry is Qidong's development strategy. At present, the construction of six major iron mines — Shunda, Shenlong, San'an, Xinyan, Qiyuan, and Qifeng — is in full swing, with a total completed investment of 386 million yuan. Among them, Shunda Mining has already been fully put into production, and the remaining four iron mines will also be put into production around 2010. Several other major iron mines are still in the stage of listing for transfer or exploration. Qidong will become a veritable "Iron Capital" in the central-south region.
China's Gold Capital — Xinshao County
Xinshao County has abundant mineral resources. More than 50 kinds of minable minerals have been proven within its territory, especially gold, antimony, aluminum, zinc, manganese, iron, and coal, with large reserves. It is a nationally famous "Ten-Thousand-Tael Gold County." Xinshao County sits on a gold vein about 44 kilometers long. After eight years of exploration by the National Armed Police Gold Force in Xinshao, the proven gold reserve has initially reached 50 tons, belonging to a super-large gold deposit. In accordance with national gold mining policies, the Xinshao County government has adopted a model of public auction of mineral mining rights to attract outside investors to develop gold resources. It has now signed mineral development agreements with powerful large companies such as Kunlun Mining and Yunxiang Mining. Xinshao County will build China's Gold Capital.
World Antimony Capital — Lengshuijiang City
Lengshuijiang City, a mining and industrial city in central Hunan Province, is known as the "World Antimony Capital." It got its name because there are many wells on both banks of the Lianxi River within its territory, and the well water is extremely cold. Lengshuijiang City is rich in mineral resources and can be called a treasure land unmatched anywhere in the country. It is an important energy and raw materials base in Hunan Province and enjoys such reputations as "World Antimony Capital," "Jiangnan Coal Sea," "Hometown of Metals," and "Treasure House of Silica." Minerals with proven mining value now include antimony, lead, iron, zinc, and other metals and rare metal ores, as well as non-metallic minerals such as graphite, silica, and refractory clay. Among them, antimony output accounts for 60% of the global total, coal geological reserves are 550 million tons, accounting for one-sixth of the province's proven reserves, and coal-bearing strata in the city account for half of the total area. In recent years, coalbed methane and oil and natural gas with promising mining prospects and reserves of nearly 36 billion cubic meters have also been discovered in the strata of Lengshuijiang City, and trial extraction succeeded in 2001, ending Hunan's history of having no oil or natural gas.
Hunan's County with the Largest Forest Coverage — Yanling County
Yanling County's forest coverage rate reaches 82.63%, ranking first in the province and 64.4% higher than the national average forest coverage rate. The standing timber volume is 9.24 million cubic meters, and there are 37.27 million moso bamboo culms. It is a key forest region county in Hunan Province and one of the province's top ten forestry counties. Based on the county's characteristics and in accordance with the requirements of laws such as the Property Law, the county Party committee and county government confirmed and issued certificates for 2.53 million mu of forest land throughout the county. This mobilized the afforestation enthusiasm of more than 40,000 farming households. After forest tenure reform, specialized cooperative organizations for moso bamboo, oil tea, nai plum, yellow peach, and others emerged as the times required. The specialized cooperative for dual-purpose bamboo shoot and bamboo forests attracted more than 2,000 farming households to join, increasing average household income by more than 7,000 yuan. The county has become a "National Standardized Production Base for Green Food Raw Materials," forming a forestry industry pattern dominated by artificial boards, wood chemicals, and bamboo shoot and bamboo processing, with annual forestry industry output value exceeding 1.5 billion yuan. The county was selected as one of "China's Top Ten Green Cities" and "China's Green Famous County," and the eco-tourism economy with Shennong Valley, Lishuzhou, Ling Peak, and Dayuan Farm as the main body has developed rapidly. In 2009, the county's tourist receptions, ticket revenue, and comprehensive tourism revenue increased by 54%, 49%, and 50% year on year, respectively.
"Jiangnan's Turpan" — Li County
Li County in Changde currently has a grape planting area of 15,000 mu, an annual output of 30 million kilograms, and an annual output value of 150 million yuan. Among these, 10,000 mu are Eurasian grape varieties, with 8,000 mu bearing fruit. Varieties include Red Globe, Beauty Finger, Ruby Seedless, Victoria, and others. At the same time, Li County has newly built the country's largest grape germplasm resource nursery with more than 1,800 varieties, a winery with an annual output of 3,000 tons, and a controlled-atmosphere cold storage with a capacity of 500 tons. It has the reputation of "Jiangnan's Turpan."
China's County with the Largest Flue-Cured Tobacco Output — Guiyang County
Guiyang is a world-renowned "Flue-Cured Tobacco Kingdom." Its natural conditions are superior, and its planting conditions can compare with Zimbabwe, a world-famous tobacco-producing region. Tobacco leaf cultivation began during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years. In recent years, flue-cured tobacco planting area and output have ranked first in the province and among the top in the country. The county promoted the application of flue-cured tobacco formula fertilizer on 555,000 mu, promoted 55,800 tons of formula fertilizer, saved an average of 0.9 kilograms of chemical fertilizer per mu (converted to pure nutrients, the same below), increased output by 4.8 kilograms/mu, raised the proportion of upper and middle-grade tobacco by 3 percentage points, saved costs and increased income by 63.4 yuan per mu, and saved costs and increased income by 35.187 million yuan for tobacco farmers throughout the county.
Hunan's County with the Highest Garlic Output — Chaling County
Chaling garlic has a long history. According to county records, garlic cultivation in Chaling began before the Five Dynasties, with a cultivation history of more than a thousand years. By the Ming Dynasty it had become a major crop, and during the Republic of China period the planting area was more than 10,000 mu. Because of its superior quality, Chaling garlic was listed as "tribute" during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As early as the 1930s it was exported to Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, and Southeast Asia. In the 1950s it was exhibited at the National Agricultural Exhibition, and in the 1980s it won the "Hunan Province First Excellent Agricultural Product Certificate" issued by the Hunan Provincial Department of Agriculture. Its quality has always been recognized by domestic and foreign merchants and consumers. In recent years, the county Party committee and county government have attached great importance to garlic production, listing garlic production as a pillar industry for key development in the county, formulating development plans, and issuing relevant support policies. After several years of effort, Chaling's garlic area has recovered and stabilized at around 15,000 mu, and its output ranks first in Hunan.
Hunan's County Exporting the Most Navel Oranges — Xinning County
Xinning County has a long history of navel orange cultivation. As early as 1943, Washington navel oranges were introduced for trial planting, and from them a unique and excellent navel orange variety was selected and bred. In 1979, it was designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Trade as one of the country's four major export navel orange production base counties. In 2002, it was designated by the Ministry of Agriculture as a key navel orange production county in the citrus advantage industrial belt of southern Jiangxi-southern Hunan-northern Guangxi. After Xinning navel oranges won the gold award in the Ministry of Agriculture's high-quality agricultural and sideline products evaluation in 1989, they won the gold award in Hunan Province's high-quality fruit evaluation for three consecutive years from 1997 to 1999, and were rated as "Hunan Famous Brand Agricultural Products" in 2002 and 2006. In 2007, 20,500 mu of navel oranges passed national green food certification and obtained the green food label use certificate. In 2008, 10 navel orange bases obtained registration for fruit export and obtained registration and protection of agricultural product geographical indications from the Ministry of Agriculture.
China's No. 1 County for Early-Ripening Mandarin Oranges — Shimen County
Citrus is the pillar industry of Shimen's agriculture, and half of the county's more than 600,000 farmers have become prosperous through citrus. The county's registered export orchard area reaches 95,000 mu, and the certified pollution-free citrus base area is 250,000 mu, making it a "National Horticultural Product Export (Citrus) Demonstration Zone" and a "National Citrus Standardized Production Demonstration Zone." In optimizing the structure, it vigorously develops early-ripening and extra-early-ripening mandarin oranges. At present, early-ripening and extra-early-ripening mandarin oranges account for 75% of the county's total citrus area, and it has been recognized by the Chinese Society of Citrus as "China's No. 1 County for Early-Ripening Mandarin Oranges."
China's No. 1 City for Rock Sugar Oranges — Hongjiang City
Hongjiang City, formerly named Qianyang County, is located in western Hunan Province, in the middle range of the Xuefeng Mountains. The city area is 2,174 square kilometers. At present, the city's citrus planting area has reached 250,000 mu. It is a key county (city) for high-quality citrus bases in China and enjoys such fine names as "Hometown of Chinese Rock Sugar Oranges" and "China's No. 1 City for Rock Sugar Oranges." Hongjiang City has three major advantages for developing the citrus industry: a long cultivation history, a unique geographical environment, and rich variety resources. The "Qianyang Rock Sugar Orange" produced in this city has been listed as a nationally protected geographical indication product, awarded the title of "Chinese Famous Fruit" by the China Fruit Marketing Association, and has won gold awards many times at agricultural expos. Citrus has become the pillar of Hongjiang City's agriculture and rural economy, and the city has formed a strong atmosphere of standardized cultivation, large-scale production, branded operation, and industrialized projects. In June 2005, the Hongjiang City Citrus Industry Office was established, mainly responsible for structural adjustment of the city's citrus industry, organization and coordination of relevant departments, technical services for production bases, maintenance and management of brand image, and citrus sales promotion.
Hunan's County with the Largest Cotton Output — Huarong County
Huarong County is a nationally famous major commodity cotton-producing county, with a good geographical environment and production technology for cotton planting and uniquely advantageous resource conditions for cotton textile production. Huarong County's cotton planting area is 300,000 mu, accounting for 30% of Huarong County's cultivated land area. Cotton output is 32,100 tons, accounting for 67% of the city's total cotton output and 15.5% of the province's, making it the largest cotton-producing county in the province, accounting for 5% of the country's total, and ranking among the top 50 in the country's top 100 cotton-producing counties. The county has 31 cotton ginning factories, processing 75,000 tons of seed cotton, with processing income of 15 million yuan. The county has 20 textile production enterprises, including 8 printing, dyeing, and weaving enterprises, and 9 fully automatic computer printing production lines. Industrial output value reached 1,781.73 million yuan, accounting for 38% of Huarong County's industrial output value, and providing a total profit and tax of 41.66 million yuan. Cotton and textile production have formed the leading industry of Huarong County.
China's County with the Largest Number of Shelducks Raised — Linwu County
Linwu's mountains and waters make its ducks renowned. Located on the border of Hunan and Guangdong, Linwu County in Hunan Province has been the kingdom of Linwu ducks since ancient times. The annual raising volume is 150,000, and the annual stock of laying ducks is only more than 50,000. The Linwu duck is a unique local duck breed in Linwu. Like a wild duck, it is all lean meat and delicious. It is a local fine dual-purpose duck breed for meat and eggs that is well known in Hunan and throughout the country. In 1984 it was recorded in the "Hunan Province Livestock and Poultry Breed Records," and in 1986 it won the gold award for high-quality agricultural products in Hunan Province. It has successively been listed by the province, city, and county in the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" seedling project construction and agricultural industrialization construction key projects. At present, the county has developed more than 2.3 million Linwu ducks.
Hunan's Hometown of Copper Geese — Wugang County
Wugang has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "Home of Bronze Geese." The Wugang Bronze Goose is a fine goose breed famous in Hunan Province. According to the Annals of Wugang County, Wugang Bronze Geese have a history of more than 500 years of rearing. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, large numbers of bronze geese were already being raised in Wugang. In the Qing Dynasty, because of its tender and delicious meat, the bronze goose was listed as a tribute to the imperial court, submitted in lieu of taxes. Wugang Bronze Goose, together with Xianglian lotus seeds and Ningxiang pigs, was once hailed as one of Hunan's "Three Treasures."
China's No. 1 County for White Wax Production — Zhijiang County
White wax is a traditional specialty product of Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, accounting for 55% of the national output and 90% of the provincial output, thus earning it the beautiful title of "Home of Chinese White Wax." Aitouping Township, as one of the county's white wax production bases, accounts for more than 60% of the county's output. It currently has a wax forest area of 7,438 mu, with an annual output of over 40 tons, an annual output value of more than 3.8 million yuan, and a per capita income increase of 460 yuan, of which 300 households have an annual income of over 10,000 yuan.
The County with the Largest Jujube Forest Area in Hunan — Xupu County
Xupu County is extremely rich in specialty resources. The county has a long history of jujube cultivation and is not only a key jujube-producing county in Hunan Province, but also one of the key jujube-producing counties listed by the State Forestry Administration. The county currently has a jujube forest area of over 5,000 hectares, with an annual output of 60,000 tons of fresh jujubes and 21 native varieties. In particular, the hundred-li, hundred-thousand-mu jujube base across ten townships enjoys great renown and the beautiful title of "Home of Southern Jujubes."
China's Largest Phellodendron Production Base in the South — Sangzhi County
Sangzhi County is located in the northwest of Hunan Province, with a total area of 3,474 square kilometers. Sangzhi is richly endowed with natural treasures and abundant resources. It is one of the 500 resource-rich counties (cities) in the country, with 330,000 mu of artificially planted Phellodendron forests, making it the largest Phellodendron production base in southern China.
Home of Guangmu Timber — Huitong County
Huitong is located in the southwest of Hunan Province, in the Qushui River basin, a tributary of the Yuanjiang River, adjacent to Guizhou Province. Its forest products include Chinese fir, pine, bamboo, tung oil tree, camellia oleifera, magnolia slices, pine resin, cork oak, camphor oil, Chinese gallnut, and many other varieties. The total area is 2,248.55 square kilometers, of which forest land accounts for 1,806.3 square kilometers. The county currently has a forest stock volume of 6.35 million cubic meters, with a forest coverage rate of 74%, far higher than the national and provincial averages. Huitong enjoys the reputation of "Home of Guangmu Timber." Guangmu refers to the Chinese fir grown in the county's Guangping forest area. This unique high-quality, fast-growing coniferous tree species of China is famous worldwide for its large, straight trunks with few knots.
Home of Daylily — Shaodong County
Shaodong has a long history of daylily cultivation, recorded as early as in the county annals compiled during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. Shaodong has the fine name of "Home of Daylily," with output accounting for about one quarter of the national total. In 1988, the planting area reached 55,000 mu, with a total output of 6,250 tons, setting a historical high. Export volume accounted for 50% of the province's total, and it was listed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade as one of the ten major dried vegetable export bases.
China's No. 1 County for Chili Sauce — Shuangfeng County
Among dishes made purely from chili peppers, the most renowned and once "nobly" served as an imperial tribute is "Yongfeng Chili Sauce." Yongfeng Chili Sauce is a traditional specialty product of Shuangfeng County. At the 2007 China Changsha International Chili Industry Expo, Shuangfeng County was honored with the title of "China's No. 1 County for Chili Sauce." Yongfeng Chili Sauce is spicy with a hint of sweetness. The spiciness comes from the local "fierce" red chili peppers, while the sweetness is formed by the combination of soybeans and wheat contained within, with absolutely no added sugar, thus earning its fine reputation. Building on tradition, Yongfeng Chili Sauce has developed new varieties such as seedless chili sauce, sword bean chili sauce, ground beetle chili sauce, and fermented black bean chili sauce. New products including five-spice sauce, eight-treasure sauce, assorted sauce, beef sauce, and fish prince sauce have also successively entered the market. The county's total annual output of Yongfeng Chili Sauce has reached 20,000 tons, with products sold throughout 26 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country, and exported to the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Southeast Asian countries.
Home of Chinese Honeysuckle — Longhui County
Longhui honeysuckle has a history of more than 30 years since cultivation began in the early 1970s. Over the past 10 years, Longhui County has listed honeysuckle as one of its key pillar industries for development. By 2003, the area had grown to 280,000 mu, with an output of 10,000 tons and an output value of about 150 million yuan. Products sell well in major and medium-sized cities such as Guilin, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Nanjing, as well as major pharmaceutical factories nationwide. As a traditional selenium-rich agricultural product with local advantages, it has been officially included in the National Pharmacopoeia. Its output accounts for more than 50% of the national total, and it has been named "Home of Chinese Honeysuckle" by the State Forestry Administration.
Hunan's No. 1 County for Dairy — Chengbu County
Chengbu, rich in grassland resources, is determined to build itself into "Hunan's No. 1 County for Dairy," striving to achieve a 50% coverage rate of improved dairy cattle breeds by 2010. Since October 2008, Chengbu has received new applications from more than 600 households to raise dairy cattle, with nearly 3,000 cattle proposed for breeding, setting off a new upsurge in dairy development. The county has begun appointing dedicated dairy officers in villages (communities, work areas) with five or more farming households or 30 or more dairy cattle to guide breeding. County leaders have gone to villages to establish pilot sites, and 14 villages including Dali, Jinta, and Chang'anying have been designated as dairy cattle breeding demonstration villages.
Hunan's Largest Yellow Cattle Industry Base — Xinhuang County
Xinhuang County's yellow cattle breeding has reached more than 170,000 head, with over 60,000 head slaughtered. Calculated by the labor force invested, each person raises as many as 5 cattle on average. In recent years, Xinhuang County has implemented the construction of a "Ten Townships, Hundred Villages, Ten Thousand Households, One Hundred Thousand Head Quality Beef Cattle Base," establishing 20 breeding communities and more than 2,000 scaled breeding households. The cut beef produced annually is sold to Hong Kong and Macao, and also exported to Malaysia, Singapore, and other Asian countries. The county government has planned and built a yellow cattle food industrial park on the outskirts of the county seat, which now houses more than 10 yellow cattle processing enterprises. The county produces 64 varieties of cut yellow beef and more than 40 varieties of processed products. The "Xiangxi Yellow Cattle Standardized Breeding National Demonstration Project" has been approved by the State Administration of Quality Supervision, and "Xinhuang Yellow Beef" has been declared for national geographical indication product protection.
Hunan's First "Home of Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle" — Hanshou County
Soft-shelled turtle is also known as biē, tuanyu, or jiaoyu. Hanshou has been rich in soft-shelled turtles throughout its history. Wild turtles were abundant in the county's Taibai Lake, Xinao Lake, Nanhu Lake, Weidi Lake, and other areas. In 1974, artificial breeding of soft-shelled turtles began in the county. In 1996, the county's soft-shelled turtle product series became the second largest agricultural project after grain production, and Hanshou became Hunan's first "Home of Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle." Soft-shelled turtles and their processed products have been sold to 29 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country, and exported to Europe, America, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
Home of Chinese Taro — Jiangyong County
Jiangyong County has the fine name of "Home of Chinese Taro." It has a 100,000-mu high-quality vegetable base centered on taro, with an annual output of over 180,000 tons and an output value of 150 million yuan. Taro is not only the county's leading industry but has also become a nationally recognized brand. The county has also actively improved its marketing network and strengthened its agricultural product sales force, continuously expanding the market visibility and market share of its branded products. More than 6,000 tons of taro are sold to Hong Kong and Macao, and over 10,000 tons are exported to the United States, Japan, and Canadian markets. KFC once designated Jiangyong as the main raw material base for its "Taro Sweetheart" brand, with an annual procurement volume of nearly 10,000 tons.
Home of Hunan Bamboo — Taojiang County
Taojiang County is located in the north-central part of Hunan Province, in the middle and lower reaches of the Zijiang River, and is named after the Taohua River (Peach Blossom River) within its territory. Its bamboo forest area reaches 720,000 mu, ranking first in the province and third in the country. Premier Wen Jiabao personally named Taojiang County "Home of Bamboo." The beautiful imagery of "two or three peach blossoms beyond the bamboo" attracts countless visitors to linger along the Peach Blossom River, and "bamboo fragrance drifting across the four seas, peach blossoms reflecting the nine provinces" reflects the profound cultural heritage of Taojiang County.
Home of Chinese Xianglian Lotus Seeds — Xiangtan City
Xiangtan County is located in central Hunan and is known as the "Home of Chinese Xianglian Lotus Seeds." Xiangtan County's lotus seed cultivation not only has a long history but also features high yields and excellent quality, renowned both at home and abroad and praised through the ages. In addition to producing large quantities of high-quality lotus seeds locally, Xiangtan County has also formed the nation's largest lotus seed market in Huashi Town, with an annual purchase and sales volume of nearly 10,000 tons of lotus seed kernels. Every year, more than 5,000 skilled lotus growers from the county travel elsewhere to teach lotus cultivation techniques and contract lotus fields, spreading Xianglian varieties and cultivation techniques to areas outside the province and most parts of Hunan itself. Xiangtan has become the national headquarters for lotus seeds, forming a nationwide central market that integrates lotus seeds, talent, technology, information, and distribution. Xiangtan City's nickname "Lotus City" derives from this.
Home of Jiangnan Waxberry — Jingzhou County
Jingzhou County is located in southwestern Hunan. Its waxberries are best from Mudong Village, Aoshang Town, known as "Mudong Waxberries," which were once listed as tribute presented to emperors through the dynasties. Mudong Waxberries are famous nationwide for their large fruit, bright color, and delicious taste, and have the fine name of "Jiangnan's No. 1 Waxberry." Its main cultivated varieties include 12 varieties such as Large-Leaf Waxberry and Smooth-Leaf Waxberry. The county currently has a cultivation area of 22,000 mu, with an annual output of about 5,000 tons and an annual output value of over 50 million yuan. In 1989, it was listed as a nationally famous, special, and excellent commodity; in 1998, it won the gold award in the province's quality fruit evaluation; in February 2002, it obtained the national green food certificate. At the same time, Jingzhou is also the "Home of Chinese Poria."
Chiyou's Hometown — Xinhua County
Xinhua is a thousand-year-old county, anciently called Meishan, located in the west-central part of Hunan. Xinhua is the hometown of Chiyou and has been awarded the title of "Home of Chinese Chiyou Hometown Culture" by the China Folk Artists Association. According to research by experts and scholars, Daxiong Mountain is the birthplace of Chiyou, the ancestor of the Miao people. Daxiong Mountain still retains sites such as Chiyou Ping, Chiyou Wuchang, and Chunji Ao. The research paper "The Ancient Meidong Region Is One of the Original Habitats of the Chiyou Tribe," completed under the leadership of Chen Zi'ai, professor at Beijing Normal University and renowned folklorist, further proves that ancient Meishan was the main area of activity of the Chiyou tribe.
Home of Chinese Poetry — Hanshou County
Hanshou was anciently called Su County. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, it acquired the name Hanshou, meaning "the Han Dynasty's rivers and mountains, long life without end." When the Shu Han general Guan Yu was enfeoffed as Marquis of Hanshou Pavilion, it referred to this place. This is a land endowed with infinite vitality by water, and historically a typical land of fish and rice in the Dongting region. It is said that Qu Yuan, who created the romantic poetry form known as the "Sao style," once lived here for a long time, and Hanshou's affinity with poetry began with him. In June 2002, it was awarded the title of "Home of Chinese Poetry."
China's First Home of Modern Folk Painting — Mayang Miao Autonomous County
Mayang folk painting has a natural and primitive style with profound artistic conception. It is a highly distinctive independent painting genre with considerable artistic value. To date, more than 350 works from the county have been exhibited at home and abroad, 16 works have been published in UNESCO publications, and 26 works have been permanently collected by the National Art Museum of China and the China Folk Art Museum. In February 1988, the Ministry of Culture named Mayang as "China's Home of Modern Folk Painting." It has gradually formed a Mayang modern folk painting that has roots in Chu culture, Mayang Miao divine shaman culture, Panhu culture, and Nuo culture, while also embodying the interests of contemporary life.
The County-Level Unit with the Most International Patents in Hunan — Liuyang City
Since the implementation in 1985 Patent Law, Liuyang City has actively encouraged invention and creation, protected patent rights for inventions, and has applied for national patents1425items, including Shenli Industrial Co., Ltd. and others7national patent pilot enterprise.2005The number of patent applications in Liuyang City in the year was249items, with a patent implementation rate of60%. Among them, in Germany, France, and other places15international patents applied for in countries and regions77items, trademarks22items, becoming the county-level unit (city) with the most international patents (trademarks) in the province. In the same year, enterprises were guided to implement patented technologies.50multiple items, with the annual output value from patent implementation reaching5.8hundred million yuan, with the output value of high-tech industries reaching15.54hundred million yuan.
Home of Chinese Folk Songs — Sangzhi County
Sangzhi County is located in the northwest of Hunan Province and has long been a settlement of the Tujia and Miao peoples. The local people have long lived among rolling towering mountains and crisscrossing streams and rivers. They once walked a path of civilization from fishing and hunting to farming, and created the dazzling Chu shaman culture. Year after year, generation after generation, in a picturesque world of clear mountains and beautiful waters, the high and low singing of Sangzhi folk songs reveals a unique artistic charm. The people of Sangzhi use songs in place of speech and convey emotions through songs, expressing their feelings, their reflections on life, and their yearning for a better life. Sangzhi folk songs have rich ethnic characteristics. Representative pieces such as "Chestnuts Bloom in a Single Line," "Flowers Bloom in Four Seasons," "A Lantern Hangs at the Door," "Cold Water Brews Tea Slowly," and "The Horse Mulberry Tree Sets Up a Lamp Stand" have become classics in the treasure trove of Chinese folk songs. The magnificent and colorful linguistic art and unique artistic expression of Sangzhi folk songs have made them widely sung. Sangzhi folk songs are a product of Sangzhi's unique geographical environment and its closed or semi-closed state of existence, and they still retain many ballads reflecting primitive religion. Among them, the three-line lyric structure provides precious materials and examples for studying the diversity of Chinese folk songs and reflects the simple philosophical thought of the people of Sangzhi in worshipping "three." The Sangzhi folk songs preserved through history number more than 10,000. Through classification, adaptation, and arrangement, there are more than 1,400 mountain songs, 129 flower-lantern tunes, more than 200 minor tunes, more than 100 labor chants, and 66 ritual songs, compiled into more than 500,000 characters. On November 19, 2008, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Folk Artists Association awarded Sangzhi County, Hunan Province, the title of "Home of Chinese Folk Songs." Polished by the years, this enduring wonderful flower of folk art will shine even more brilliantly.