On July 8, the first China (Jishou) Image Contest was officially launched in Aizhai Wonders Tourist Area, Jishou City, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province.
The contest is open to domestic and international photographers, with the submission period from July 8, 2023 to July 7, 2024. There are two categories of awards: pictures and videos, with a total prize amount of 116,000 yuan. In the picture category, 100 high-quality photographs will be selected, and one top gold prize winner will be selected and awarded 10,000 yuan. In the video category, 20 outstanding video works will be collected, and one top gold prize winner will be selected and awarded 15,000 yuan.
The content of the entries should focus on natural landscapes, humanistic customs, cultural tourism, beautiful countryside, and social development achievements within Jishou City.
This image contest aims to capture the splendid moments of Jishou’s development, and showcase the breathtaking transformation of rural areas. By integrating photography, tourism and promotion, more people will learn about, visit and fall in love with Jishou.
It is hoped that a batch of high-quality artworks will be created by a large number of photography artists, which will help promote Jishou’s tourism brand and the rapid growth of its tourism industry.
Jishou City is the capital of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, with a superior location. Geographically, Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway, Baotou-Maoming Expressway and Chongqing-Changsha Expressway intersect here. In addition, the Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua High-Speed Railway has been completed and put into operation, and the Xiangxi Biancheng Airport is about to be opened.
Jishou boasts beautiful ecology, and its air quality has long ranked first in the province. The city cherishes its rich cultural heritage, which includes 67 intangible cultural heritage items like the Miao drum dance. Within Jishou, visitors can explore cultural landmarks such as Qianzhou Ancient Town and Dehang Miao Village. Nature lovers will be captivated by the awe-inspiring Liusha Waterfall, Wentiantai, and architectural marvels like the Aizhai Winding Mountain Road and Aizhai Bridge, which are a testament to the resilience and talent of its people.
In recent years, Jishou City has vigorously implemented the “strengthening the prefectural capital” strategy, taking ecological and cultural tourism as the leading industry to accelerate the construction of the “core growth pole of the prefectural economy”. It strives to comprehensively promote the development of the tourism industry through culture. Through these efforts, the city has been listed among “Top 100 Tourism Counties in China”, “First Demonstration Zones for All-for-one Tourism in Hunan”, and “Top 100 Tea Counties in China”.
From January to June this year, the city received 8.447 million tourists and achieved tourism revenue of 7.9 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 21.5% and 21.3% respectively, indicating a comprehensive recovery of the tourism industry.
