By MEILING & WANG NAN

Forest-bounded Chenzhou.

Chenzhou is a small scenic city in the mountains and a major stops on the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway. The recently opened Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway and National Highway No. 107 pass through the city, and it is only a four hour drive to Guangzhou and Changsha. Since opening of the Guangdong-Hunan segment of the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway in March this year, even more Guangzhou residents visit Chenzhou to enjoy its tranquil vistas.

Chenzhou is the point where the Yangtze and Pearl River systems divide and run north and south. The current Pan-Pearl River Delta boom has magnified Chenzhou's geographical and economic significance. Another ongoing economic boom in neighboring Guangdong Province has also had positive impact on Chenzhou and the opening and development of southern Hunan Province.

Zhangjiajie is the most famous travel destination in Hunan Province, and Chenzhou is also an emerging tourist hot spot. It successfully sponsored the National Medium-sized and Small City Development Seminar from the end of 2003 until early 2004, and won the title of National Excellent Tourism City. In order to attract more visitors, Li Dalun, Chenzhou's mayor, has in recent years overseen facility construction and increased promotion budgets. This scholarly mayor speaks unreservedly about Chenzhou's natural beauty and huge development potential.

The Chenzhou Sports Training Base is home to the Chinese Women's Volleyball Team, winner of five consecutive world championships. The Five Championship Hotel, a quiet three-star hotel by Beihu Park in the city center, is a celebratory monument to this achievement.

Another dwelling place in Chenzhou is the Paradise Hot Spring Holiday Villa, complete with spa, activities and ecological tours. Legend goes that the water source is a fairy's bath and brings good luck to spa-goers. The traditional Chinese medicine spa in Paradise Hot Spring Holiday Villa is most popular. Its water contain traces of Chinese angelica, ginseng, peppermint and aloe, all of which are believed to be physically therapeutic.

Some 80 natural scenic spots are located around Chenzhou, all within 50 kilometers of the urban area. The best known are Suxian Hill, a Taoist center, Wanhua Grotto named World Cave Wonder by a Chinese-American exploration team, Feitian Mountain Geological Park, with its red sandstone landform and crystalline Dongjiang Lake.

Chenzhou Tourist Spots

Mangshan Mountain National Forest Park

The Mangshan Mountain National Forest Park is a must-see destination in Chenzhou. It enjoys the same reputation as Zhangjiajie, the Hunan tourist Mecca. Situated in Zhangyi County, the Mangshan Mountain Forest Park covers 284 square kilometers with 126 peaks standing over 1,000 meters high, the highest of them Mount Mengkengshi. Best-known for its large areas of primitive forest, 16 nationally protected plants, such as cervus unicolor, macaca arctoides, viverra zibetha, viverricula indica and ermia mangshanensis grow in the park, and it is the habitat of 36 protected animal species.

Dongjiang Lake

At 100 square kilometers Dongjiang Lake is about the same size as Shenzhen in Guangdong Province. On and around it are more than 30 islands, forming an enchanting scene of lakes and mountains.

Wanhua Grotto

Located about 12 kilometers southwest of Chenzhou, Wanhua Grotto is regarded as Hunan's number one cave. It is a large-scale underground Karst cave with inter-connecting small cave systems, ground water, stalactites and stalagmites.

In 1988, a Chinese-American Karst caving team came to Wanhua Rock Grottoe for a one-week exploration. Team members declared it one of the most beautiful caves in the world and of high scientific and exploration value.

Suxian Hill

Suxian Hill has been well known since ancient times as a Taoist holy place where according to legend immortals once lived. Chenzhou was immortalized by Great Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet Qin Shaoyou's writing of his travels in Chenzhou. The number of tourists to Suxian Hill is on the up: during the 2004 Spring Festival season, it received 14,600 domestic and foreign tourists.

Feitian Mountain

Feitian Mountain is a typical red sandstone landform. Red mountains, green lakes, steep cliffs, odd-shaped rocks and caves adorn this 50 square kilometers scenic area. It is site of cultural relics such as temples, stone Buddhas and hanging coffins.

Yangtian Lake Grassland

Yangtian Lake Grassland is the closest grassland to Guangdong. More than 1,300 hectares of lush grass cover this southern area, which is also site of a 1.3-hectare volcanic lake originating from the Quaternary Period.