A delegation of network media reporters went to Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture on May 28, as part of the sixth network media reporters’ trip to Hubei.

At a news conference, Wang Haitao, secretary of Enshi prefecture Party committee, and Yang Tianran, head of the prefecture, talked about Enshi, including its abundant natural resources, charming scenery, recent improvement in transportation and ecological protection, as well as the bottleneck limiting its development.

According to Wang, forest coverage in Enshi is 71 percent, and thanks to the fresh air and pleasant climate, UNESCO named the prefecture as “one of the most suitable living environments for human beings”.

Enshi boasts the only separate selenium mineral deposit in the world, and reserves of 10 minerals such as iron, coal and natural gas ranks at the top in Hubei province.

As Hubei’s only ethnic prefecture, Enshi has a population of over 4 million, among whom 53 percent are Tujia, Miao and other ethnic groups. Its dragon-boat melody was selected as one of the 25 outstanding folk songs in the world by UNESCO. The Tujia ethnic group’s brocade, called “xilan kapu” , is one of the top five kinds of brocade in China.

The prefecture also has Tusi culture, which refers to the governing systems of different ethnic groups, where the official positions can be passed down through generations. Tusi culture has existed for hundreds of years.

In recent years, the bottleneck of traffic in Enshi has been greatly improved. Highway, railway, airport and harbor have been built, and CRH (China Railway High-speed) trains connecting Chengdu, Chongqing and Wuhan cities will begin in July.

Last year, Enshi prefecture realized total output value of 55.25 billion yuan ($8.85 billion), a year-on-year increase of 9.9 percent. Its main economic indicators were above the average of Hubei province.

As for further development, Wang added, Enshi will strengthen its selenium brand, and create six green industrial chains. In January, the prefecture held the first China selenium products expo, which will benefit the selenium industry.

The six industrial chains include tea, tobacco, livestock husbandry, eco-cultural tourism and information industry. Last year, Enshi prefecture received 26.5 million tourists, resulting in tourist revenue of 14.75 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.6 percent and 23.4 percent, respectively.

Yang, head of the prefecture, said that Enshi welcomes visitors from home and abroad, and he hopes more people can appreciate the beauty of Enshi and experience its ethnic culture.

Women from the Tujia ethnic group welcome tourists to Enshi prefecture. [Photo by Le Qin]

Wang Haitao (left), secretary of Enshi prefecture Party committee, and Yang Tianran, head of the prefecture, talk about Enshi at a news conference on May 28. [Photo by Le Qin]

Network media reporters watch a film about Enshi during their visit on May 28. [Photo by Le Qin]

A tea garden in the Dong ethnic group village [Photo by Le Qin]A tea garden in the Dong ethnic group village [Photo by Le Qin]

Edited by Nelly Nin