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Chinese city rethinks renaming mountain after Avatar
A few days back we posted a story about how the Chinese city of Zhangjiajie, located in the southern Hunan Province, had renamed a mountain in the region after the blockbuster film Avatar, which is said to have found inspiration in the nearby landscapes. Now, according to ABC News, officials from the city are back peddling, denying that they changed the name at all, following online backlash over the affair. Earlier in the week it was reported that a ceremony was held on Monday to officially rename a local peak formerly, known as "Southern Sky Column", to "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain". According to local oficials, a Hollywood photographer was in the area back in 2008 taking photos of the mountain, and those images would go on to inspire director James Cameron to create the floating mountains that wowed audiences in the film.
As word of the name change spread across China however, there was an outcry amongst the citizens there. The local government officials in Zhangjiajie were accused of being greedy and too accepting of western culture when they hastily renamed the mountain after the movie, which has been extremely popular with Chinese audiences.The choice to rename th e mountain was so unpopular in fact that an online poll logged a vote of 54,619 against the move, with just 5,897 in favor.
The sudden change in heart also signals a shift in the city's tourism plans as well. Local guides were already offering "Avatar Pandora Tours", but considering the public outrage, it seems the region will have to rethink their marketing strategy.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Hiking, Asia, China
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joseph Papierz Jr Jan 31st 2010 2:28PM
I'm totally shocked that a country so steeped in tradition would even consider renaming one of it's mountains after a movie mountain. Of course they shoud restore it to its' original name. What were they thinking? Oh never mind. They were seeing U.S. Dollar signs. Too bad.
Grace Jan 31st 2010 6:53PM
The Chinese seeing dollar signs? They already own our foreign debt thanks to W and the Republicans during the 8 years they tried to run us into the ground. I think that the Chinese already have more dollars than they can use....and if they want to call it Avatar, it's their business, not ours. As if the Chinese give a rat's butt about what we in this country think.....
Tracie Smith Jan 31st 2010 2:35PM
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Dumb name for a mountain. Should've left well enough alone.
Dumb movie, too.
marshall Jan 31st 2010 2:50PM
This would be a mistake. Everyone living on the mountain would have to send out their new mailing adress to all their friends.
JD Jan 31st 2010 3:25PM
This is a silly discussion. The mountain has been there for millions of years and will be there for millions more, barring some unknown natural catstrophe, over which us puny humans have no control anyway. It's only a name. The mountain doesn't care and if mountains can have a consciousness, I'm sure it knows its own name, regardless of what the silly humans wish to call it. Who cares. A rose by any other name, and all that...
SkyBlue Jan 31st 2010 4:14PM
We humans are such stupid creatures to worry about such stupid things.
Gil Jan 31st 2010 4:31PM
To western! I guess the billions of US dollars doesn't count as western influence. It's still RED China and as far as I knew they were and are the enemy of Capitalism Why don't they name it mount Obama that would still stay within there tradition of Communism. Just call it chairman Mao-bama mountain, Change you can beleive in (refer to little red book) I think the Beatles said it best "You say you want a Revouloution" Well yes I do.
c8smum Feb 1st 2010 1:33AM
you want to blame a politician then technically you should blame richard 'i am not a crook' nixon...he is the one who opened up relations between the us and china.
cgw Jan 31st 2010 4:53PM
So??? Does everybody think Key Largo was always Key Largo? Or do they realize it was changed 'after' the movie?
Smartass Jan 31st 2010 5:00PM
It's just as well, I heard that everybody on that mountain was BLUE.
chip Jan 31st 2010 5:47PM
"Back peddling?" Really?
jbjg24m Jan 31st 2010 5:59PM
so what? damn, AOL must be having a slow news day
Larry Crawford Jan 31st 2010 7:28PM
"Sigh!" China's so not ready to join the '80's!
Lita Jan 31st 2010 7:36PM
I'm surprised that they would even consider something this stupid. It's as bad as the idiots who are naming their children after characters in the movie and are trying to speak the language. (Dollars to donuts these people aren't smart enough to speak English properly, but are hot turn learn some silly made-up language from a movie. Their parents probably spoke Klingon.) What a sad state of circumstances....
Anonymous Jan 31st 2010 7:59PM
It's not like it was named after a heroic soldier, emperor, or deity. What's wrong with renaming "Southern Sky Column"? They're so contemptuous of us, I guess, that they don't want our business. But the villagers have spoken.