Stories of High-Quality Development | How a top inbound-tourism hotspot in China is handling its massive influx of visitors
By People's Daily Online Published: Jul 01, 2026 06:56 PM
Narrator: Li Zejia, English-speaking Tour Guide, Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province
People often ask this question: What has made Zhangjiajie a hotspot in China's inbound tourism?
The mountains are our calling card, service is our hidden ace, and culture is our trump card. This is my answer after guiding more than 500 foreign tourists.
The mountains and rivers are Zhangjiajie's real advantages. From the summit, with clouds and mist swirling around, Tianmen Mountain and the floating mountains appear occasionally in the haze. The breathtaking sight of thousands of peaks standing in alignment and one pillar propping up the sky is like a universal language. It strikes straight at the heart without the need for translation.
Over the past two years, I have witnessed firsthand the real effort Zhangjiajie has put into inbound tourism. Foreign tourists get through entry quickly with just a passport. Trilingual signs in Chinese, English and Korean cover the scenic zones, and travelers get tax refunds the moment they make a purchase, making it truly possible to travel freely and shop with ease. "Arriving with empty suitcases and leaving with them full" has become a common sight among foreign visitors.
More importantly, a chance conversation with a foreign tourist made me realize that what draws them here and keeps them lingering is not just the stunning natural scenery, but also the ancient and modern culture, and the everyday vibe of local life.
From that point on, I began to give myself "extra lessons." I first understood things myself, then found materials and translated them clearly. When the Tujia ethnic group's intangible cultural heritage brocade, through my "interpretation," became more than just traditional dowry bedding, Xilankapu (traditional brocade woven by Tujia people) naturally took on an added layer of historical depth in Eastern aesthetics in the hands of foreign tourists.
In Zhangjiajie, there are more than 2,000 foreign-language tour guides and interpreters like me. We regularly take part in industry training, quickly evolving from scenic-area guides into cultural ambassadors. And we are not just guides. From city entry procedures to sightseeing in the scenic zones, from navigation to shopping, everyone here is a mobile window to the outside world, genuinely showing the world the lovable image of China.
