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Hunan lies in the south of the middle Yangtze
River valley, its name meaning "south of the lake" because
most of it is located south of Dongting Lake. It has an area
of 210,000 square kilometers and a population of 52.81
million. Hunan has a warm climate, with cold, short winters
and hot, long summers. It has four clearly contrasted seasons,
abundant rainfall, a frost-free period of 260-300 days, and a
mean annual precipitation of 1,300-1,700 mm. concentrated
mainly in April, May and June. Its mean annual temperature is
16 Celsius - 18 Celsius, with maximum temperature exceeds 40
Celsius, one of the hottest places in
China.
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In 1982, China established its first national forest park -
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, it is located in the
northwest of Wulingyuan, it is in the neighborhood of Suoxiyu
Valley and Tianzi Mountain. 97 percent of the park is covered
with plants which have 98 families, 517 species, over twice
the total in Europe. Its gymnosperm species take up half of
the total in the world. Zhangjiajie opens to the outside at
the beginning of the 1980s and is the earliest tourist zone
exploited in Zhangjiajie. It is noted for its queer peaks,
tranquil water and beautiful forests. Its main scenic spots
include Golden Whip Stream, Huangshi Fort and so on. Numerous
pinnacles rise abruptly from the level ground in the shape of
huge bamboo shoots pointing to the sky. Both sides of Golden
Whip Stream stand grotesque peaks and are covered with old
trees and vines. The stream, like colorful ribbons, flows
through valleys. Watching mountains on Huangshi Fort, one
can't help acclaiming as the acme of
perfection.
Hunan's cuisine has its unique flavor. In
Hunan, nearly every dish tastes hot, and delicious. Hunan's
products include Xiang embroidery, one of China's four famous
embroideries. It has high artistic value. With 200 years of
history behind them, the chrysanthemum stone carvings of
Liuyang are vivid and exquisite. Liuyang City is known for its
firecrackers, which are popular all over China.
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