"Huangshan city boasts magnificent natural scenery, gripping history and profound culture. We are committed to making it a world-class vacation destination," said a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature.
Ling Yun, also Party secretary of Huangshan, submitted a series of proposals on the ecological and cultural conservation of the city to the NPC.
The city, located in eastern China's Anhui province, is renowned for its Huangshan Mountain scenic area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has long fascinated global visitors, and its traditional Hui culture.
"The city has an excellent ecological environment, with crystal-clear waters and lush mountains," Ling said. "It is the epitome of China's beauty."
She added that Huangshan is home to 59 A-class national scenic spots and its forest coverage rate reaches 82.9%. Meanwhile, Xidi village in the city's Yixian county was recognized as one of the 44 "Best Tourism Villages" by the World Tourism Organization in 2021.
At this year's NPC session, Ling put forward a slew of suggestions about strengthening the holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes and grasslands, and improving the mechanism to realize the value of ecological products as part of environmental protection measures.
"Huangshan city is the birthplace of Huizhou culture — the whole city is like a museum without a roof," Ling said, adding the city will step up construction of the Huizhou Cultural and Ecological Reserve. She also suggested establishing a national research institute for Huizhou culture as well as a demonstration area for the protection and utilization of ancient Hui-style buildings and cultural relics, in a bid to better preserve Huizhou culture and show its charms to the world.
Last November, an online tourism and cultural event themed "Creative Huangshan, Gorgeous Huizhou" was jointly held in Huangshan and New York to promote Huangshan's famous tourist attractions to people overseas.
According to Ling, over 70 major events will be held in the city this year, including an international mountain climbing festival and an international road cycling race.
"Through these activities, we hope to present the cultural and tourism resources of Huangshan to the world, making it known to more global tourists," she said, adding that Huangshan is the ideal place for those in pursuit of happiness and beauty.
