Golf thrives, but on unregulated course

If you haven't heard of Zhangjiajie, think about Hollywood blockbuster Avatar that reportedly drew inspiration from the beautiful, rugged mountainous area in southern China for its special-effect illusions in the "Pandora" jungle.

Coincidentally, Zhangjiajie in Hunan province that attracts millions of middle-class tourists every year is also embroiled in a conflict between modern man and nature, where local officials and developers are defying a national ban on building new golf courses in order to protect farmland and conserve water. Their first unauthorized 18-hole course, designed by an American architect and named a sports ecological park as a disguise, is already up and running. Investors are pushing forward another two despite political pressures and opposition from local people.

Yet Zhangjiajie is just one of the salient examples of a policy conundrum that has been troubling the public, government and developers for years.