Areas with large ethnic minority populations should preserve their distinctive culture and let it shine through integrated development of culture and tourism, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday while inspecting an ethnic minority village in southwest China's mountainous Guizhou Province.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the Zhaoxing Dong Village in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture on Monday afternoon.
During the inspection, Xi sat beside a firepit together with local villagers to discuss all-around rural revitalization at a drum tower, a unique architecture for the Dong ethnic minority group that serves as a communal gathering spot.
The villagers shared with Xi stories of how their village has transformed in recent years and how their lives have become more fulfilling.
"You all spoke very well. From your descriptions and the expressions on your faces, I can see that this township and this village are flourishing. Tourism has become a major industry, and rural tourism is thriving. Ethnic minority regions must preserve their unique characteristics and let them shine through tourism. I wish you all prosperity in the days ahead," Xi said.
Xi stresses preserving distinctive culture in ethnic regions
Xi stresses preserving distinctive culture in ethnic regions
Xi stresses preserving distinctive culture in ethnic regions
Xi stresses preserving distinctive culture in ethnic regions
The Chinese capital of Beijing marked a significant milestone in expanding its trade connections with Central Asia on Wednesday morning, with the launch of its first ever freight train to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
The train, carrying 90 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) filled with exports, departed from Beijing's railway logistics center and will arrive in Tashkent in 14 days.
The cargoes carried by the train, valued at over 16 million yuan (about 2.2 million U.S. dollars), are mainly goods such as fresh air ventilators, compressors, engines, and thermostats, which are all made in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. This has also been a significant step toward the region's outward-oriented economic development.
"For the launch of this freight train, we have developed a customized transportation plan based on the needs of enterprises. As for organizing the transportation, we have prioritized planning, empty container allocation, loading and transportation, and customs clearance in a bid to establish a fast channel for the train's operation," said Zhang Shusheng, manager of the marketing department of Beijing's railway logistics center.
The opening of the train route will provide important support for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to strengthen economic ties with Central Asian countries and build high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
The Central Asia freight trains connect major destinations in five Central Asian countries with various Chinese cities including Tianjin, Xi'an, Jinan, Hefei, and Lianyungang. Since July 2020, 32 dedicated freight train routes between China and Central Asia have been established.
Beijing launches first direct freight train to Central Asia
