During the May Day holiday, according to statistics from the tourism department of Jishou City, over the three-day break, the bridge received 72,700 visitors and generated tourism revenue of 1.925 million yuan. Jishou City welcomed a total of 204,400 tourists and achieved total tourism income of 90 million yuan, reflecting year-on-year growth of 46% and 56% respectively.
(Scenic view of the Ancient City of Qianzhou)
On April 29, the viewing platform of Aizhai Bridge was officially opened to the public. As an important node on the classic route of "Ancient City of Qianzhou – Aizhai Bridge – Dehang Scenic Area," Aizhai Bridge has become a new favorite in Xiangxi tourism.
Just on April 27, Norwegian balance master Eskil Ronningsbakken performed a "Valley Ballet" high-altitude balance challenge on Aizhai Bridge, sparking a surge in tourist interest. During the holiday, the Dehang Scenic Area launched a Miao ethnic farming culture park project, showcasing traditional Miao agricultural practices, silver forging, and batik-making techniques to visitors, further promoting the brand of "Millennial Miao Village Charm" and adding rich ethnic cultural elements to the bridge experience. The "Hundred Crafts Workshop," city brand boutique gallery, and Xiangxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall in the Ancient City of Qianzhou were also popular among tourists. Urban attractions centered around Donghe Cultural and Art Park, Wanshiji Square, and the musical fountain at Century Square, as well as rural tourism areas including Hongfeng Forest Park, Aikou, and Pinglang Village, expanded Jishou’s new tourism frontiers and emerged as fresh forces in the city’s tourism market during the short holiday.
(Scenic view of Aizhai Bridge)
It is understood that the Aizhai Spectacular Scenic Area spans a planned area of 108 square kilometers and consists of four parts: Donghe, Aizhai, Dehang, and Xiaolong Cave. The scenic area is known as the "Aizhai Spectacular" due to its "Seven Wonders": the Marvelous Valley (Dehang Grand Canyon), the Marvelous Bridge (Aizhai Bridge), the Marvelous Road (Aizhai Highway Wonder), the Marvelous Waterfall (Seven Major Waterfalls), the Marvelous Platform (Observatory Landscape), the Marvelous Custom (Miao Ethnic Folk Customs), and the Marvelous Flavor (Miao Ethnic Specialty Cuisine). These "Seven Wonders" are considered natural marvels, collectively supporting the leisure tourism brand of the Aizhai Spectacular Scenic Area: "A Century of Road and Bridge Wonders, a Millennium of Miao Village Charm, and Ten Thousand Years of Canyon Scenery."
(Scenic view of Dehang Scenic Area)
According to officials from the Jishou City Tourism Bureau, during the May Day holiday, domestic tourists visiting Jishou mainly came from cities such as Changsha, Zhangjiajie, and Huaihua, while international visitors mostly hailed from Hubei, Chongqing, Henan, and Guangdong. Leveraging the completion and opening of Aizhai Bridge, Jishou has become the center of a four-hour economic circle encompassing the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan region and Chongqing. To the east of Jishou lies the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Two-Oriented Society Pilot Zone, and to the west is Chongqing’s Urban-Rural Integration Pilot Zone, giving the city a strategic geographical advantage that bridges north and south, and connects east and west. Jishou's growing status as a tourism hub for the Wuling Mountain Area is becoming increasingly prominent.
Read more: Introduction to the Ancient City of Qianzhou, Dehang Scenic Area, and Aizhai Bridge
Ancient City of Qianzhou: With a history of over 4,200 years, the Ancient City of Qianzhou is located by the Wanrong River in the urban area of Jishou, the capital of the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province. It boasts convenient transportation, with National Highway 209 and the Zhicheng-Liuzhou Railway running north-south through the city. It has long been a traditional material distribution hub for the border regions of Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Guizhou. The Ancient City of Qianzhou has a history of over 4,200 years, with indigenous ancestors settling here as early as the Xia and Shang dynasties. Later came the Jishi people, then the Siren people, and subsequently the Miao people. During the Qin and Han dynasties, it was an important commercial port and trading post, where north-south courier routes and roads converged. With well-developed water transport, it was a relatively prosperous economic hub at the time. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, it had gradually become the political, economic, military, and cultural center of the Miao frontier region. Historically, it ranked first among the Four Ancient Towns of Xiangxi (Qianzhou, Pushi, Liye, and Chadian).
Dehang Scenic Area: In the Miao language, "Dehang" means "beautiful canyon." Due to its dramatic mountain terrain, towering cliffs, overlapping peaks, and dense forests, the area features many cliffs, rock walls, peak forests, waterfalls, and primeval forests. The region is crisscrossed with streams and rivers, enjoys a spring-like climate all year round, and has a pleasant environment with abundant flora and fauna. The natural scenery is exceptionally beautiful and enchanting. The Dehang Scenic Area is located 24 kilometers west of Jishou City, covering an area of 580 square kilometers. This is a magical land and a naturally exquisite gem of scenic beauty. Within this self-contained Dehang Scenic Area, there are crisscrossing streams, deep canyons, cascading waterfalls, competing mountain peaks, ancient trees, rare flowers, precious birds and animals, and Miao ethnic landscapes.
Aizhai Bridge: The Aizhai Extra Large Suspension Bridge is located within the territory of Aizhai Town in western Hunan’s Xiangxi. The Aizhai Suspension Bridge is approximately 20 kilometers from downtown Jishou, spanning a valley near Aizhai Town, with the Dehang River flowing at the bottom of the valley. The bridge deck is designed at an elevation about 330 meters above the ground. The bridge type is a single-span steel truss stiffened suspension bridge, with a total length of 1,073.65 meters and a main span of 1,176 meters. The bridge crosses the Aizhai Grand Canyon, and its main span ranks third in the world and first in Asia. The project was planned with an investment of 720 million yuan, accounting for 15% of the total planned investment for the Jicha Expressway. At the end of March 2012, the Hunan Aizhai Extra Large Suspension Bridge, which set four world records, was officially opened to traffic. At the end of April 2013, the Aizhai Bridge viewing platform was officially opened to the public.