In his poem Peach Stream, renowned poet Tao Yuanming (365-427 AD) described a Utopian land of peace and harmony. The poem is said to have been inspired by Taohuayuan Resort in Changde, which is now a popular tourist destination

Booming industry

With support from the government and its own advantages, the tourism industry in Hunan has been flourishing in the past few years, Zhang said.

He said the province received record numbers of tourists and generated more revenue than ever before. In 2012. it received about 22.4 million arrivals and earned 223.41 billion yuan in revenue.

The growth in the tourism industry is largely due to the development of tourism facilities and related infrastructure, Zhang said.

Hunan had 16 tourist destinations newly rated as 4A in 2012, offering more choices for travelers. Class 4A is the second-highest category of rankings for tourist resorts in China.

In addition, 18 new international hotels, including Hilton hotels, opened in Hunan, making the province a more pleasant place to stay.

The Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway became fully operational at the end of 2012, shortening travel time from major Chinese cities like Beijing and Guangzhou to less than five hours.

An extensive highway network, totaling some 3,700 km, now links 97 counties and cities, making it easier for tourists to travel among various destinations in the province.