Hengshan County, Hunan: Splendid Landscapes and Natural Wellness

On November 21, the 3rd Hengyang Tourism Development Conference opened in Hengshan County. This session emphasized the integration of culture and tourism, industrial collaboration, and shared development, showcasing Hengshan’s new image—a place where history meets modernity and natural beauty coexists with urban development.

Hengshandu Block

Photo by Li Junjie

Hengshan County is home to the natural treasures of the Zijinshan Mountain Scenic Area, the ecological vitality of Huanghua Park, and the historical heritage of the Hengshandu Scenic Area. In recent years, leveraging its unique advantage of splendid natural landscapes combined with natural wellness resources, Hengshan County has established itself as a premier cultural tourism destination where visitors can enjoy a harmonious blend of scenic beauty and cultural richness.

On the eve of the 3rd Hengyang Tourism Development Conference, the Hengshandu·Xiangjiang Ferry Folk Culture Experience Site, a key visit project of the conference, officially opened on the banks of the Xiangjiang River in Hengshan County.

The site features several notable attractions, including the Baimating Ferry Building, a provincial cultural relic protection unit, and the riverside Dengdu Teahouse. Guided by Huang Xuan, a staff member from the Hengshandu Brand Department, visitors explore the approximately one-kilometer-long Hengshandu·Xiangjiang Ferry Folk Culture Experience Site. Beyond the water-based cultural tourism corridor, where the immersive performance Entering Dreams of Hengshandu is showcased, the ferry’s historical heritage and local life are vividly brought to life along the riverbank.

The project follows the “one axis, three areas, and multiple points” plan, seamlessly integrating ferry heritage, local activities, and intangible folk culture to create an immersive cultural tourism block that combines tourism, commerce, culture, and leisure offerings. It welcomed over 90,000 visitors on its first opening day.

As a key visit project of the 3rd Hengyang Tourism Development Conference, Hengshandu Block embodies Hengshan County’s “government-led, enterprise-operated, and public participation” model for culture-tourism integration. An official from the Hengyang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Broadcasting and Sports stated that the project not only preserves the historical style of the Xiangjiang Ferry but also promotes cultural innovation through the living transmission of intangible cultural heritage and immersive experience design. It offers a “Hengshan model” for other counties across the province seeking to develop integrated culture and tourism initiatives.