An international forest protection festival is to be hosted at the Wulingyuan scenic area in Zhangjiajie of central China's Hunan Province, from November 18 to 20.
Wulingyuan scenic area was added to the World Heritage of the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) in 1992.
Lu Jianguo, vice-mayor of Zhangjiajie, said that the city has always given priority to environmental protection and has cut back on construction projects.
In recent years, the city has turned down more than 50 applications for projects that could pose a threat to the local environment.
It has also launched a campaign to replace coal and wood with oil, gas, and electricity as fuel, and will build sewage treatment facilities with a loan of US$4.5 million from Japan, he added.
Zhangjiajie is one of the areas inhabited by Tujia and Miao ethnic groups. Covering an area of 369 square km, Wulingyuan is famed for its unique quartzite valley and mountains landscapes.
(China Daily November 5, 2001)
