Zhangjiajie mayor: culture is the soul of tourism

Zhangjiajie, a tourism city in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, has been a hot topic on the Internet since it changed the name of a craggy peak in its scenic area from South Sky Pillar to Hallelujah Mountain, after the floating mountain that appeared in the recent 3D blockbuster "Avatar".

Zhangjiajie has been a hot topic on the Internet since it changed the name of a  craggy peak in its scenic area from South Sky Pillar to Hallelujah Mountain.

Zhangjiajie not only belongs to China, but to the whole world. It has a unique landscape on earth.

Some Netizens say it is ridiculous for a Chinese scenic spot to have a foreign name. Others think it could be proof that the floating mountains in the movie originated in China.

Mayor of Zhangjiajie Zhao Xiaoming shared with China.org.cn his opinion on this issue.

"Zhangjiajie not only belongs to China, but to the whole world. It has a unique landscape on earth. So I am sure that the Hallelujah Mountain in 'Avatar' originated here. It is not bad for local people to use cultural factors to promote Zhangjiajie. After all, culture is the soul of tourism," Zhao said.

Tourism is a pillar industry for Zhangjiajie. Last year the city attracted 19 million tourists, making it one of the most visited places in China. Tourism revenue reached 10.2 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) in 2009, a 20 percent growth year-on-year from 2008.