Tonglu unveils tourism route based on ancient painting

A scene of Memory of Jiangnan, a performance that captivated audiences nationwide during the Spring Festival gala which was broadcast on China Central Television on Jan 31, the eve of the Lunar New Year. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tonglu county in East China's Zhejiang province has unveiled a tourism route featuring places depicted in the painting Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains that was created by master painter Huang Gongwang in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

More than 80 percent of the scenery depicted in the painting is from Tonglu, where Huang lived in seclusion in his later years.

The newly launched tourism route along the Fuchun River includes scenic spots like Tongjun Mountain, Yan Ziling Angling Terrace, Daqi Mountain National Forest Park as well as Meirong village and Luci village.

The route will allow visitors to admire Tonglu's enchanting landscapes and experience rural life.

The route's release comes as part of local government's efforts to boost local tourism by leveraging the popularity of Memory of Jiangnan, a performance which captivated audiences nationwide during the Spring Festival gala broadcast on China Central Television on Jan 31, the eve of the Lunar New Year.

Using a three-dimensional rendition of the legendary Chinese painting Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains as the backdrop, Memory of Jiangnan featured female dancers holding yellow oil-paper umbrellas and Chinese actors reciting excerpts from ancient poems praising the views of Fuchun River.

The show's creative team led by Kang Zhen, a professor at the College of Liberal Arts of Beijing Normal University visited Tonglu that same day.

According to Kang, Tonglu's scenery cannot be found elsewhere in the world. "If the Fuchun River is compared to a beautiful woman's eyebrow, Tonglu is like a point on the eyebrow," he said.