Warmer southwest China region attractive to tourists despite winter setting in

Although winter sets in, the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in warmer southwest China's Yunnan Province has remained a top destination for tourists seeking pleasant weather and stunning natural vistas, with many visitors staying on as seasonal residents.

With an average temperature of 21.8 degrees Celsius, winter in Xishuangbanna is warm and pleasant, which makes it one of the best destinations for people to escape from the coldness in most parts of China.

At the beginning of 2025, Jino Ethnic Minority Township in Xishuangbanna's Jinghong City, with its 94 percent forest coverage, attracted numerous visitors from across China. Some were first-time tourists, while others returned for the season, much like migratory birds, to enjoy the region's warm climate.

To enhance the tourism experience, the region has rolled out 22 new trekking routes through its rain forests.

"Some routes cater to families, while others focus on educational experiences based on traditional villages, each with its unique charm," said Mu Layou, president of the outdoor sports association of Jinghong City.

The Wanjing community in Jinghong now has nearly 20,000 residents, with 90 percent of them coming from outside the region. The majority of these new residents are middle-aged or elderly people.

"Life here is fulfilling. Every morning, I practice Tai Chi. At noon, we sing together, and in the evening, we dance," said Li Yanping, a seasonal resident from north China's Tianjin Municipality.

To better serve long-term visitors, the community has developed a "15-minute living circle", featuring amenities like a canteen, supermarkets, and a community center, all within a 15-minute walk. Healthcare services have also been improved to meet the needs of those residents.

Data show that Xishuangbanna attracted over 300,000 seasonal residents in 2024, accounting for more than 20 percent of the local population.

In Jinghong, nearly 80 percent of property purchases in the first 10 months of 2024 were made by out-of-town buyers. Meanwhile, sectors like care homes and homestays have experienced rapid growth.

"Another trend is the influx of younger seasonal residents, particularly digital nomads and influencers, who are increasingly selecting this place for their temporary stay," said Jiang Jie, deputy director of Xishuangbanna Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Warmer southwest China region attractive to tourists despite winter setting in

Warmer southwest China region attractive to tourists despite winter setting in

The halting of Russian gas transit through Ukraine will result in a redoubling of efforts in Europe and Russia to find new supply routes, according to Chinese scholar of international relations.

Ukraine officially stopped the gas flow on Wednesday, following the expiration of a five-year agreement with Russia's gas giant Gazprom on Tuesday. This agreement, signed in December 2019, had allowed Russian gas to continue flowing to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines despite the conflict.

Zhang Xin, associate professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, East China Normal University, said that both sides of the trade relationship will face significant challenges as a result of the development.

"That has been anticipated for long, to essentially undermine Russia's ability to fund its military operation in Ukraine and limit Moscow's ability to use energy as a strategic leverage in Europe. And that's the main purpose. That kind of long term stable energy cooperation is part of economic interdependence between Russia and Europe has now come to an end, at least for the foreseeable future. So that's probably an even bigger loss for Russia as well as for Europe," Zhang said.

Following the halt of Ukraine transit, the TurkStream pipeline under the Black Sea has become the sole remaining route for transporting Russian gas to Europe.

The European Commission says the share of Russian pipeline gas in EU imports has plummeted from over 40 percent in 2021 to about 8 percent in 2023, with Norway and the United States emerging as the new top suppliers.

Amid concerns about supply shortages and soaring energy costs, Zhang predicts that countries will seek new ways to secure alternative transit and import routes for gas, continuing a trend that has emerged from the conflict.

"A larger implication for the geopolitics of energy for Russia, Europe, even for the global energy market probably consists of a few important trends in the foreseeable future. All major actors in Europe in Russia are going to intensify their efforts, double their efforts to look for alternative transit routes, import, export routes for gas as we've already seen in the past few years. But I think efforts along that line will be even intensified," Zhang said.

Ukraine's halting of gas transit impacts Russia's energy leverage on Europe: scholar