Recently, the 8th Beautiful China Deep Breath Small Cities Summer Tourism and Culture Festival, along with the first Taihang Mountain Tourism Conference, opened in Huguan County, Shanxi Province. During the opening ceremony, the "2023 Deep Breath Ecotourism Charm Index" and the list of "2023 Deep Breath Ecotourism Charm Counties" were announced. Ten counties and districts from Hunan Province were shortlisted, inlcuding Guidong County, Fenghuang County, Baojing County, Wulingyuan District, Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Xinning County, Taoyuan County, Yuanjiang City, and Yueyang County.

The "2023 Deep Breath Ecotourism Charm Index" was compiled by the Deep Breath Small Cities Expert Committee of the China Society of Territorial Economists, in collaboration with Beijing All-for-Tourism Planning and Design Institute, China Academy of Culture and Tourism, and Asia-Pacific International Leisure and Culture Center (Beijing).

The research team developed the "Deep Breath Ecotourism Charm Index Evaluation System" based on three major indicators: biodiversity, resource richness, and resource uniqueness. The entire country was divided into 12 "Beautiful China · Deep Breath Ecotourism Belts" according to forest ecosystems, grassland ecosystems, wetland ecosystems, marine ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, and lake ecosystems. Using the charm index evaluation system, the team selected the "2023 Deep Breath Ecotourism Charm Counties" along the ecological tourism belts.

The 10 shortlisted counties and districts from Hunan Province were as follows:

Qing'e Mountain, Guidong County

Fenghuang Ancient Town

Youshui National Wetland Park, Baojing County

Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie City 

Centian River National Wetland Park, Jianghua Yao Autonomous County

Wanfo Mountain Scenic Area, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County 

Langshan Mountain, Xinning County

Taohuayuan Scenic Area, Changde City

Chishan Island, Yuanjiang City 

Dayun Mountain National Forest Park, Yueyang County