Baishui Temple Scenic Area (5)

Located in Wudian Town, 15 kilometers southwards away Zaoyang City of Hubei Province, Baishui Temple is the hometown of Liu Xiu – the emperor founding the Eastern Han Dynasty (25—220) and also one of the “Top Ten Emperors in China”. Admired as a holy land of “dragon flying over clear water, pines standing beside deity pond” by Zhang Heng, a famous scientist in Eastern Han Dynasty, Baishui Temple is the birth place of a great emperor who brought the nation back to the track towards prosperity and peace. As one significant cultural stop in western Hubei eco-friendly and cultural tour route, Baishui Temple Scenic Area boasts one Heritage Unit under Key National Protection, two Heritage Units under Key Provincial Protection, and has been successively listed as Hubei Provincial Famous Scenic Spot and National 3A-level Scenic Spot. The annual influx of 500,000 tourists helps generate RMB158 million of gross income for this tourist attraction.

Endowed with rich cultural and historical resources, and unique standing as hometown of ancient emperors which no other place in Hubei Province can compare with, Baishui Temple Scenic Area stands as one prominent stop along the golden tour rout of Three Gorges – Ancient Longzhong, Wudang Mountain, Shennongjia, as well as one key link for Suizhou - Zaoyang – Gucheng – Shennongjia, the Yan Emperor fairy dragon tour route. This place is revered by later generations as “Hometown of Emperors” as it has gave birth to two ancient emperors (Liu Xuan, Emperor Gengshi of Han Dynasty and Liu Xiu, Emperor founding the Eastern Han Dynasty). With Baishui Temple – a time-honored temple atop the main peak of Lion Mountain to the south of Wudian Town – as main body, and emperor culture as highlighted theme, Baishui Temple Scenic Area also merges wonderful natural landscape like Baishui Lake at hillside and Gun River at the foot and to the north of Lion Mountain, as well as many neighboring cultural landscapes and historical landscapes as represented by ancient Wudian Town. More than 20 special scenic spots like Baishui Temple Ancient Architecture Complex, Baishui Stele Corridor, Lihua Garden, Baishui Well, Horse Pond, Sanma Pavilion, Baishui River Source Memorial Stele Pavilion, Bandao Well, Sword Grinding Mountain, Chongling Old Town Relic, Liu Xiu Troop-inspecting Stand (Memorial Hall for Kingdom Founder), Ancient Emperor Birthplace Village, Warring States Tomb Complex, and newly-built Memorial Hall for Emperor Guangwu are signature scenic spots for commemorating and researching Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty and have remained popular with tourists traveling from far.

As directed by the guideline of “Han Culture, High End, Grand Scale”, Baishui Temple Scenic Area has stuck to the development principle of “scientific planning, stressed elements, phased development” to promote a distinctive tour genera highlighting emperor culture amid harmonious eco-setting. Also, beneficial from golden opportunities generated from Hubei Province’s campaign to build famous tourism-backed towns, Baishui Temple Scenic Area has successfully raised fund from multiple channels to optimize its tourism infrastructure and public facilities like Han Culture Plaza and Tourist Center. Such proactive efforts have consistently boosted the reception ability and service level of the tourist attraction and, in return, making the tourism brand of Emperor Hometown more prominent and attractive. With upgraded service facilities, Baishui Temple Scenic Area now is home to hotels of various types, more than 50 restaurants, and 24 star rural tourism farmhouses, capable to accommodate a daily influx of more than 1,000 tourists. A tourism service system of certain scale has taken shape in the tourist attraction to meet tourists’ needs in terms of catering, accommodation, traffic, sightseeing, consumption, and entertainment. Baishui Temple Scenic Area has gradually become a starry destination in bio-friend and cultural tourism route in western Hubei and even the whole nation.