On April 19, a Russian tour group of over 20 people embarked on a unique air sightseeing tour, after fully immersing themselves in the fantastical karst landscapes of Huanglong Cave. 

Departing from the Huanglong Cave Ecological Square, the tourists boarded a helicopter to fly over distant villages and mountain ranges, taking in the breathtaking spring scenery of Zhangjiajie from a "bird's-eye view" in the air. 

Stepping off the helicopter, the Russian tourists could hardly contain their excitement, repeatedly marveling at the stunning spring scenery of Zhangjiajie. "Lush mountains and lucid waters, along with villages and farmland, are flashing before my eyes—it is like a landscape painting slowly unfolding!" a Russian female tourist shared with Ms. Wang, the tour guide of the group. The Russian tourist added, "The in-depth exploration on the ground and the expansive views from the air gave me a more comprehensive appreciation of Zhangjiajie's scenery and deepened my love for this place."

"Most tourists in the group felt that tours on the ground alone couldn't capture the full view of Zhangjiajie. Therefore, when they learned about the helicopter sightseeing program at Huanglong Cave Ecological Square, they all spontaneously expressed a desire to enjoy the scenery from a different perspective." According to tour guide Ms. Wang, the rugged peaks, deep gorges, magnificent caves, and picturesque countryside—these unique landscapes are rarely seen in Russia—are particularly novel and appealing to Russian tourists. 

Industry insiders noted that since the beginning of this year, Zhangjiajie's inbound tourism market has continued to boom. With the implementation of China's visa-free policy, the number of Russian tourists has surged significantly. Russia is gradually emerging as Zhangjiajie's second largest source of international visitors after South Korea. Innovative projects like helicopter tours, which break away from traditional sightseeing perspectives, not only enrich Zhangjiajie's tourism product offerings but also precisely meet the diversified and personalized travel needs of both domestic and international tourists. This helps drive the development of Zhangjiajie's domestic and international tourism markets toward broader space and greater diversity.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunantoday