Hengyang News Network (Reporter Cheng Cong) On the afternoon of October 11, Liu Zhongjie, Deputy Secretary of the Hengyang Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, went to Nanyue District to research karst cave ecological protection work. He emphasized the need to further raise political standing, thoroughly study and implement the thought of Xi Jinping on ecological civilization, clarify the baseline, establish ledgers, improve long-term management and protection mechanisms, coordinate ecological protection with the regulated use of resources, and resolutely safeguard the bottom line of karst cave ecological and environmental security.

That afternoon, Liu Zhongjie successively visited Zuimian Cave and Zhuling Cave in the Shuilian Cave Scenic Area, inspecting in detail the current status of cave protection. Zuimian Cave is surrounded by streams, and the water inside the cave is clean and pollution-free; above Zhuling Cave is a scenic walkway, and there is no garbage or other pollutants inside the cave, with the overall ecological environment in good condition.

Liu Zhongjie emphasized the need to deeply practice the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," treat karst cave ecological protection as an important political task, comprehensively clarify the baseline of existing karst caves, establish and improve a normalized inspection and supervision mechanism, ensure problems are discovered and addressed early, and resolutely safeguard the ecological bottom line. We must always keep the safety string tight, strictly and meticulously investigate hidden safety hazards in karst caves, improve emergency response plans, and safeguard tourists’ safety with a sense of responsibility that never lets us rest easy. It is necessary to coordinate ecological protection with cultural tourism development, deeply explore unique resources such as the cliff inscriptions of the Zhuling Cave Heaven, let thousand-year cultural heritage be passed down through protection, promote the high-quality development of Nanyue cultural tourism, and make lucid waters and lush mountains truly become "invaluable assets."

Vice Mayor Wang Jing and Zou Kun, a member of the municipal government Party group, participated in the research.