Comment

Famous Chinese peak should not have a foreign name

By Jiang Hongbing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-28 11:11

It sounded ridiculous when I heard that the World Natural Heritage Park Zhangjiajie in southern Hunan province had renamed its Qiankun Column to Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.

Obviously, local officials hoped to take advantage of the recent Hollywood blockbuster Avatar to market Zhangjiajie's unparalleled natural beauty.

I don't know whether the local people really wanted to call the peak in their hometown "Praise you, Lord."

The origin of the Qiankun Column can be found in ancient Chinese folklore. Now, the local government suddenly adopts a foreign name and connects the peak with an alien culture. As officials hoped, the new name did have a sensational effect. But I really doubt whether this meant Zhangjiajie now belongs to the world and is "going global".

A total of 160 million people have watched the movie and they may all have rich imaginations. But everybody may still think the Qiankun Column sounds more reasonable than Hallelujah Mountain.

Ironically, the renaming has showed the efficiency of Zhangjiajie authorities. From a person's proposal, to a panel discussion, to approval by local officials and formal renaming, it was a speedy process. Maybe, I should praise the local government for its quick decision and marketing strategy when Avatar is still showing and is wildly popular.

After practicing market economy for many years, local travel authorities have mastered different marketing strategies. According to local media, the renaming is just the first step. The local government has established a special office that aims to promote Zhangjiajie in the name of Avatar. They have even planned several routes to attract more tourists. Tourists can now join a "magical tour to Avatar-Pandora" or a "miracle tour to Avatar's floating mountain". Zhangjiajie will build an Avatar theme park and 3D movie theaters soon.

However, I am wondering whether the director of Avatar, James Cameron, will accept this type of marketing. I doubt the promise of being called an "honored citizen", a free VIP family trip and an appearance fee will persuade Mr Cameron to come.

After I saw Avatar, I realized, no matter how advanced the technology is, it's only a tool for us to express human values and emotions. If we just follow the flow, we'll trail behind forever.

We should always try to preserve this beautiful scene and make it sustainable, we should not be renaming it and hoping to make a profit from it.