Zheng (left) and Lee at the ZhengjiaJie WulingYuan (Malaysia) tourism promotion centre launching ceremony. — Photos: SIA HONG KIAU/The Star
Apple Vacations is becoming the first and only travel operator to be authorised as the main cooperator of the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan – Malaysia Tourism Promotion Centre.
China’s world natural heritage site Wulingyuan, a scenic and historical site in the Hunan province, gained international fame for serving as the inspiration for the floating mountains in the high-grossing James Cameron sci-fi movie Avatar.
Malaysians can now know more about this heritage site by visiting the centre, which was set up to promote the tourism resources of Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan to Malaysian.
It is also to promote exchanges between China and Malaysia, support and assist all promotions and marketing plans of Zhangjiajie Tourism in Malaysia, to implement marketing tactics, to strengthen advertising and promotion, to enhance travel awareness and image and also to increase the number of visitors to Zhangjiajie.
Zheng said for those who want to view a natural heritage site crafted by Mother Nature, Zhangjiajie’s Wulingyuan was the place to be.
“What sets us apart from other natural sites is that, instead of rolling hills, we have the unique quartzite sandstone pillars.
China’s world natural heritage site Wulingyuan, a scenic and historical site in Hunan Province, gained international fame for serving as inspiration for the floating mountains in the sci-fi film ’Avatar’.
“Wulingyuan attracts approximately three million domestic and foreign visitors, with South Korean tourists being the highest number of foreign visitors at 200,000.
“We are confident Malaysians will choose Wulingyuan as a travel destination because of the good ties between China and Malaysia,” he said.
Zheng said he believed there was good potential in the Muslim market, adding that Muslim travellers were assured of halal eateries.
“Malaysia is a multi-racial country and Zhangjiajie has been well prepared with the setting up of food and beverage outlets and facilities to welcome Muslim travellers,” he said.
Inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1992, Wulingyuan is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across the site, many over 200m in height, along with many ravines and gorges with attractive streams, pools, lakes, rivers and waterfalls.
It features 40 caves, many with large calcite deposits and two natural bridges, Xianrenqiao (Bridge of the Immortals) and Tianqianshengkong (Bridge Across the Sky).
The site is situated in the Zhangjiajie City and lies about 270km to the northwest of Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.
The park covers an area of 690sq km.
Wulingyuan forms part of the Wuling Mountain Range. The scenic area consists of four national parks – the Zhangjijie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve and the recently added Yangjiajie Scenic Area.
Overall there are over 560 attractions to view.
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