Life preserving and refreshing in Wudang

“Refreshing your life” is the new slogan of the Wudang Mountain tourism site in Hubei province, where tourists will experience a life journey of refreshment from the inside-out.

Wudang Mountain is a famous Taoist holy mountain in China and was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1994.

Li Faping, secretary of the Management Committee of the zone, said the first impression of those who visit the site is vital and only the best environment and facilities can create a first class travel destination.

After repairing a group of ancient architectures, the officials are now focusing on lightening, cleaning and landscaping projects. About 500 million yuan ($78.5 million) was spent establishing a first-class visitor center, automated digitizing system and star-rated restrooms.

If its beautiful scenery and facilities are pleasing to the visitors’ eyes, its service pleasing to their heart. A tourist service team, called “Little Red Hat”, has helped many people since it was organized seven years ago, from small maters, such as finding lost ones, providing milk for infants, or medicine for the elderly, to big accidents, like searching for lost mountain climbers or saving trapped backpackers.

“Our service is person-centered and always respects what visitors said,” said Ke Zunyong, deputy secretary of the zone’s working committee. “For example, some visitors complained that they had to wait a long time to get the cableway to the Golden Summit, so we made some improvements and now it only takes five minutes to go up the mountain.”

In addition to its breathtaking scenery, Wudang is also famous for its unique Taoist culture. It is the most famous of the four Taoism mountains (Wudang Moutain, Longhu Moutain in Jiangxi province, Qiyun Mountain in Anhui province, and Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan province).

Based on traditional Chinese culture, many videos and movies have been made and have gained national, and even international, reputations. Musicians, artist and writers have also been invited to Taoism’s cradle to describe its beauty and legend.

Wuduang kungfu is connected with Taoism, which emphasizes cultivating a regimen that helps prolong life. A team, constituted by kungfu masters in Wudang, obtained over 100 gold metals in global martial arts competitions. They were invited to perform in more than 30 countries, including Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States.

At the foot of Wudang Mountain is a new place for travel, the Taiji Lake tourism zone, which covers an area of 67 square kilometers with a total investment of 10 billion yuan. The project will become another highlight in the Wudang Mountain areas when it is completed in 2013.