Three stories make Central China's Hunan heard in the US

　　Zhang Wenxiong, director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, tells the three stories at the opening ceremony. [Photo/people.cn]

　　A woman performing teaceremony at the exhibition. [Photo/Xinhua]

　　A seed, an academy and a movie, carrying three stories of Central China's Hunan province recently traveled across the ocean to land in the US.

　　"I hope you may find your interest in Hunan after I share with you the three little stories," Zhang Wenxiong, director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, said Monday at the opening ceremony for the exhibition, This is Hunan, at the UN center in New York.

　　"Hunan is tied with the world in many ways, and most prominently, through Yuan Longping's hybrid rice, which changed the world by providing a robust food source in areas at high risk of famine," Zhang said. He noted that Hunan is the most rice productive province in China, and it is a province that has the longest tradition of growing rice.

　　The second story Zhang shared startswith well-known Yuelu Academy, one of the four most prestigious academies in China, which was set up during the Song Dynasty (960-1276).

　　"The academy is only one aspect of how Hunan is a culture-rich province. The paper making technique originates in Hunan, the ancient anthology of Chinese poetry, The Song of Chu, was written by Quyuan in Hunan, ancient Chinese philosopher Wang Fuzhi comes from Hunan and Chairman Mao is also a Hunan local," Zhang said.

　　A craftswoman performs Hunan embroidery at the exhibition. [Photo/Xinhua]

　　The last story Zhang told starts with the 2009 science-fiction movie, Avatar. "The Avatar Hallelujah Mountain is exactly the mountain in north Hunan's Zhangjiajie city," Zhang said. "Hunan is known not only for its 'green scenery', but also for its entertainment industry."

　　Sixty percent of the province is covered in forest and China's second largest freshwater lake, Dongting Lake, and four rivers run across its landscape. A variety of TV shows that always get high audience ratings have been filmed here. Zhang said Hunan is a province that can't be ignored.

　　Xu Haoliang, deputy secretary of the United Nations Development Program, said that the exhibition is quite informative.

　　"What I used to know about Hunan is that people there eat a lot of spices, and that Hunan people are staunch and straightforward. Now I know it is much more than just that," he said.

　　The exhibition, which was presented through four aspects, enables the audience to take a glimpse at the natural beauty, the people, the landscape and the political and economic state of the province. The embroidery and teaceremony performance at the exhibition also gave audiences a vivid illustration of Hunan culture.

　　The exhibition is open until Friday.

　　Photos on display at the exhibition. [Photo/Xinhua]