Forestry department officials of central-south
China's
Hunan Province have praised the Russian Air Force's decision
not to permit an aerobatics team to fly through the Tianmen Hole as
a "wise decision."
"We are very happy to hear that the Russian
aircrafts will not fly through the Tianmen Hole," said Hu
Changqing, deputy head and press officer of the provincial forestry
department, at a press conference on Saturday.
Mount Tianmen is the second national forest in Zhangjiajie and
it first played host to a world aerobatic competition in 1999.
Local media had reported that the Russian SU-27 fighter jet will
perform a stunt that involves flying through the Tianmen Hole, cut
in the mountain 132 meters above the ground, 60 meters in deep and
57 meters wide.
Yet the Russian Air Force confirmed on Friday that they will not
fly through the hole.
Bizhev Aitech, deputy chief of the Russian Air Force, said the
decision was made after considering ecological and environmental
protection, since heavy aircraft can cause powerful air currents
when flying low that might damage both the aircraft and the
cave.
The Russian aerobatic team "Russian Knights" launched its first
aerobatic show at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park on Friday. "This
year is the Year of
Russia in China," said He Tongxin, vice- governor of Hunan
Province at an earlier time. "It is expected that this performance
will strengthen the friendship between China and Russia."
Hu said although developing tourism resources is crucial to many
forest parks, the protection of natural resources is the priority.
He thanked the Russian Air Force for their consideration.
In 1982, Zhangjiajie built China's first forest park and
currently Hunan Province has 72 forest parks, 27 of which are at
state level.
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2006)
