【正文】 ng Wetland Public date： 20100705Xidongting Wetland is located in the eastern part of Hanshou County, Hunan Province. It covers an area of 35,680 hectares and it is the entrance to the Dongting Lake, China’s second largest freshwater lake. It is the bridgehead of the golden tourist route of ChangshaZhangjiajie, only a hundred kilometers east of Changsha, 40 km west of Changde, and about twohours drive from Zhangjiajie. In 1998, as approved by the Hunan Provincial Government, it was established as a provincial nature reserve. In 2002, it was included by UNESCO on the “List of 30 Wetlands of International Importance”. In 2005, it was designated by the National Ministry of Construction as one of 9 National City Wetland Parks. In 2008, it was granted the title of National AAA Scenic Spot by the National Tourism Bureau. Xidongting Wetland is like a natural maze. There are abundant waterways and various islands with endless reeds together with a rich production of fish and rice. It is also known as a biological gene bank because it is the habitat for 416 different wet plants, 217 species of birds, and 118 species of fish. It also boasts a profound cultural influence as it is the birthplace of the Canglang Culture. Qu Yuan, the ancestor of Chinese Yongwu Poetry, once lived here and created many verses to honour the Dongting Lake, as did other men of letters, providing many local legends and a rich local mythology. Within the wetland there are more than 30 ecotourism attractions and 4 cultural spots. It is being ever more popular among tourist agencies and travelers alike. 　　The ChangshaZhangjiajie Expressway passes through this area with two exits at Junshanpu and Taizimiao. There is a county level railway station at Taizimiao on the ShimenChangsha Railway. The National Highway and S205 Provincial Highway run through this area eastward and southward respectively. It is also within easy reach of the Huanghua International Airport (1 hour away) and the Taohuayuan Airport (40 minutes away). It provides waterway transportation which can reach many other places via the Dongting Lake.Changde — A City in TaohuayuanChangde City is a “l(fā)and flowing milk and honey”, near to the Dongting Lake it is a fairyland in Taohuayuan and is a charming city adjacent to Zhangjiajie City. Located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, it connects the Wuling Ranges to the west and faces the Dongting Lake to the east. Historically it was variously named Wuling, Langzhou, and Dingzhou. Since its establishment, it has been called the “throat of Guizhou Province and Sichuan Province” and the “gate to Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province”. During its long history, it produced many outstanding people. It is a place resplendent in historical events. Here, the virtuous man Shan Juan once preached moral principles。 there were mulberry trees, bamboo groves, and many other kinds of trees as well. There were raised pathways around the fields。 in 2001, it gained national AAA tourist scenic spot status. It has forest coverage of %. With fertile land and a warm climate, it is rich in different plants, including 204 kinds of plant species and more than 20 kinds of trees for sightseeing. Within this park, there are many rare trees under state protection, such as davidia, liriodendron and other precious species, and 18 old trees which are among the protection of ancient trees list. In the park can also be found the Li Zicheng Mausoleum, Lingquan Zen Temple, Ximo Pool (inkwashing pool), Yuxi Well (imperial jade seal well), Biyan Fountain (Green Stone Fountain), Building of Buddha’s Glory, Cemetery of Famous People including the Lingquan Zen Temple, and the holy land of Buddhism which has a history of more than 1,130 years and has been renovated by different emperors from three different dynasties. During the late Ming and the early Qing Dynasty, Li Zicheng, the leader of the peasant uprising, retreated here to live after defeat. Thanks to its profound cultural artifacts, and beautiful landscapes, it is a wonderful resort for people in surrounding areas. 　　Shimen County enjoys convenient transportation links. Provincial Highways No. 1829, 1836 and 1848 run through the county. It is only 25 km away from National Highway 207 and 98 km from Changde. The JiaozuoLiuzhou, XiangfanShimen, and ShimenChangsha Railways all run through the county with three railway stations, namely, Shimen, Shimen South, and Shimen North Stations. Shimen County has an advanced network of roads to reach nearly every village in the country.At the Source of Peach Blossom Creek In the reign of Taiyuan of the Jin Dynasty, there was a man from Wuling who was a fisherman by trade. One day he was fishing from his boat in a stream, heedless of how far he had gone, when he suddenly came upon a forest of peach trees. On either bank for several hundred yards there were no other kinds of trees. The fragrant grass was beautiful to look at, all patterned with fallen blossoms. The fisherman was extremely surprised and went on further, determined to get to the end of this wood. He found the source of the stream and the foot of a cliff at the end of the wood, where there was a small cave in which there seemed to be a faint light. He left his boat and went in through the mouth of the cave. At first it was very narrow, only wide enough for a man, but after forty or fifty yards he suddenly found himself in the open. The place he had e to was level and spacious. There were houses and cottages arranged in a planned order。Huanshantou National Forest Park　　A unique scenic mountain with a 100mile plain located on the border between the North of Hunan Province and the South of Hubei Province, Huangshantou National Forest Park in An’xiang County connects onethousandmile Jianghan Plain and the Dongting Lake. It has an area of 8,600 hectares and a population of 48,000. It is 60 km from Yueyang Tower to the East, 120 km from Taohuayuan to the South, 120 km from Z