Nigeria Times

By Song Yiran, Shi Yuanhao, Chen Yiming, People’s Daily

About 80 kilometers north of Lima, capital of Peru, the Chancay Port jointly undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company and the Fourth Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd. under China Communications Construction Company is currently under construction.

The port project has taken shape after three years of construction and will become a new model of China-Peru practical cooperation upon its completion.

The Chancay Port is one of the signature projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Latin America, which includes a multi-purpose terminal, container terminals and relevant infrastructure.

In 2021, the first phase of the project started construction. With four berths planned, it has a designed annual handling capacity of 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and is expected to become an important transport hub and logistics center along the south Pacific coast of Latin America, which will significantly facilitate regional foreign trade.

Ambassador of Peru to China Marco Balarezo said the Chancay Port will lead to a surge in logistics activities and influx of personnel, thus driving employment. He believes the project will significantly promote the economic and social development of Peru.

“Here, we are building a container yard, while over there is the bulk cargo yard. Modern operational and office buildings are also under construction. Once the entire port is operational, it will be controlled remotely, and most of the equipment will be unmanned, ” said Jiang Wei, the project manager of the Chancay Port. The port is expected to be completed within this year, according to him.

Diego Leandro Andre Valenzuela Cardenas, a Peruvian engineer, said that there were thousands of Peruvian workers involved in the project during the peak period of construction, and the Chinese side provided all necessary training to help them improve their work skills.

Diego Leandro joined the project after graduating from university. He has grown from a green hand into an outstanding engineer that leads a team of over 100 people.

Peng Zhisheng, head of the first engineering division of the project, told People’s Daily that the project established a mentoring program to help Peruvian employees master construction skills as soon as possible. The program has trained a group of highly skilled local personnel in port construction, Peng added.

Recently, the Chancay Port project held a networking event with a nearby kindergarten. The kindergarten covers an area of 2,700 square meters and is equipped with various facilities including classrooms, playgrounds, recreational areas and gardens. It is the only kindergarten in the community.

According to Mauricio Perauna Mego, head of the community, the kindergarten was once run-down and faced a significant loss of students. It was the Chancay Port project that renovated the kindergarten and established a reading room to create a sound environment for local children.

Rosario, the kindergarten principal, told People’s Daily that Chinese companies helped the kindergarten with classroom repairs and reinforcement, site leveling, and floor hardening. Now, children can play in a safer and more comfortable environment.

Liu Zhe, the community-relation manager of the Chancay Port project, said that the project has set up a professional community team to implement public welfare projects such as community wall construction, dilapidated house repairs, and public road maintenance. The team also visits elderly people living alone, provides medical services, and offers psychological counseling. These efforts have received support and recognition from the local residents.

“Chinese companies have changed the image of the community,” said Mauricio Perauna Mego. “We are all expecting an early completion of the Chancay Port, as it will play a significant role in promoting regional economic development.”

The Chancay Port project is located in an important wildlife habitat of Peru, which raises high requirements for it on environmental protection. In order to properly protect the biodiversity of the area, the project team has adopted multiple measures to achieve the goal of green construction.

Technical experts of the project team developed large specialized equipment, such as an intelligent self-propelled pile-driving platform, which not only helped achieve the construction goals but also protected the water quality and marine life in the construction area. It enabled pile-driving operations to be carried out throughout the year and at all times, greatly improving construction efficiency.

The project has established a professional environmental protection team and set up an animal rescue office staffed with multiple environmental protection personnel. It has also participated in public environmental protection activities organized by the local maritime authority.

In early 2022, after an oil spill occurred in a refinery in Peru following a tsunami led by a volcanic eruption in Tonga, the project team actively helped clean the oil pollution on the sea and worked to rescue affected animals. It assisted local authorities in rescue operations and cleaned the beach to help penguins, seals, and other animals in distress.

“We highly appreciate and commend the relentless efforts of Chinese companies in areas such as marine environmental protection, marine biodiversity conservation, and water pollution prevention,” said the local maritime authority in a thank-you letter to the Chancay Port project.

A few hundred meters away from the construction site of the Chancay Port, flocks of birds can always be seen flying and foraging on wetlands.

Juan Alberto Alvarez Andrade, mayor of Chancay said the Chancay Port project has carried out multiple rescue missions for penguins, seals, and birds, effectively improving environmental conditions of wetlands, beaches, and habitats, and making remarkable contributions to local environmental protection.

He hailed the project as one that’s both “golden” and “green” as it takes into account both economic and environmental benefits.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Recently, amidst the frequent geopolitical risks, the surging demand for China-Europe Railway Express has attracted widespread attention globally.

As a flagship project and iconic brand of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe Railway Express has pioneered a new pattern of transportation between Asia and Europe. It has established a new platform for economic and trade cooperation along the routes, building a lifeline of the industrial and supply chains in a turbulent world.

China-Europe Railway Express, which is fast, stable and reliable, offers strong support for the massive trade of goods between China and Europe, and is an important mode of land transportation in international logistics.

According to the latest statistics released by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., the number of China-Europe Railway Express freight trips reached 2,928 in the first two months of this year, transporting 317,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 9 percent and 10 percent, respectively. As of the end of February, the freight service had connected 120 Chinese cities and 219 cities in 25 European countries.

The surging demand for railway transportation, especially the China-Europe Railway Express, has been frequently reported by international media, which highlights the role played by these trains in stabilizing and accelerating trade between China and Europe as well as countries along the routes.

China-Europe Railway Express has significantly improved the railway connectivity between Asia and Europe, as well as the development of sea-rail, road-rail, and air-rail multimodal transportation, opening up a new channel for the supply chain across the Eurasian continent.

It has also enhanced customs clearance facilitation along the routes, continuously optimizing business environment at ports and improving cross-border transportation rules and regulations.

China-Europe Railway Express has constantly enhanced connectivity between Asia and Europe, accelerating mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

New business models related to China-Europe Railway Express are emerging such as cross-border e-commerce trains, postal trains, and those connecting industrial parks and ports, bringing tremendous development opportunities to countries along the routes.

According to Xulio Rios, a China expert from Spain, China-Europe Railway Express combines the needs of both China and Europe in a new and complementary manner, and one of its significant values is the ability to unlock the potential for economic and trade cooperation among countries along the routes.

China-Europe Railway Express provides strong support for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, which promotes connectivity, mutual benefit, common development, cooperation and win-win outcomes.

At the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, among which speeding up high-quality development of the China-Europe Railway Express and hosting the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum are important measures to build a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network.

In recent years, with the expansion of sources of goods and an increase in high-tech products, China-Europe Railway Express is transforming from a simple “corridor economy” to a “value-added economy”, driving shared benefits along the routes through high-quality development.

The busy schedules of China-Europe Railway Express reflect China’s determination and actions to expand high-level opening-up. The China-Europe Railway Express network covers almost the entire Eurasian continent, effectively expanding economic and trade exchanges between China and countries along the routes, and accelerating the cross-border flow of factors and resources.

Statistics show that China’s total imports and exports with the 25 European countries reached by China-Europe Railway Express grew from 4 trillion yuan in 2013 to 7.42 trillion yuan in 2022. The two sides have witnessed continuously expanding trade volume, as well as facilitated trade exchanges.

The “two sessions” this year, the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, once again released positive signals of China expanding high-level opening-up.

China is proactively aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules, steadily expanding institutional opening-up, promoting stable growth in foreign trade in terms of both quality and quantity, increasing efforts to attract foreign investment, promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepening multilateral, bilateral and regional economic cooperation. This will bring more opportunities for win-win cooperation to all countries.

China-Europe Railway Express, spanning across the Eurasian continent, is increasingly becoming a “road of happiness” benefiting people of all relevant countries and a “road of prosperity” contributing to the world.

China will continue to work with all relevant parties and follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, to drive the development of the China-Europe Railway Express toward higher quality, better efficiency and greater security, thus contributing to the global economy and improving the well-being of people in all countries.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

The third International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values was held in Beijing on March 20.

Chinese and foreign guests engaged in discussions on topics including “Democracy and Modern Governance,” “Democracy and the Rule of Law in the Digital Times,” “AI and the Future of Democracy” and “Democracy and Global Governance in a Multipolar World.”

They fully recognized China’s practices in implementing whole-process people’s democracy, saying China’s democracy works and works well and has explored new paths for humanity’s cause of democracy.

Democracy is an important hallmark of the progress and development of human civilization and an ideal that has always been cherished by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people.

China keeps to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics, and follows whole-process people’s democracy. Whole-process people’s democracy integrates process-oriented democracy with results-oriented democracy, procedural democracy with substantive democracy, direct democracy with indirect democracy, and people’s democracy with the will of the state. It is a model of socialist democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is a true democracy that works.

The annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), also known as the “two sessions,” exactly mirror the effectiveness of China’s democracy.

During the “two sessions” this year, nearly 5,000 NPC deputies and CPPCC members from all walks of life across the country gathered in Beijing, integrating aspirations and expectations of the people into the nation’s top-level policy design.

The government work report, compiled through extensive consultation, was modified by about 10,000 people directly. Besides, officials from multiple ministries and departments responded intensively to public concerns on the sidelines of the sessions.

Through the “two sessions,” foreign journalists witnessed that China’s democracy gives full expression to people’s will, protects their rights and interests, and works in concert with the people. They said that China’s democracy is an important chapter in the story of democracy for humanity.

As a populous country long plagued by weak economic foundations, China always draws wisdom and strength from its 5,000-year-old culture and fine traditions in developing democracy. Based on a correct understanding of its current development stage and its economic and social conditions, it focuses on identifying and resolving each and every problem and presses ahead with democracy step by step.

After long-term exploration, China has developed a path to democracy with Chinese characteristics, which ensures adequate democratic rights for all of its 1.4 billion people, unleashes their enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity, and builds a “Chinese miracle” of rapid economic development and long-term social stability.

China’s whole-process people’s democracy takes root in the vast land of China, aligns with China’s national conditions and enjoys wholehearted support from the Chinese people.

A poll by Harvard Kennedy School showed that over 90 percent of Chinese citizens have consistently expressed satisfaction with their government.

Developing whole-process people’s democracy is one of the essential requirements of Chinese modernization. As Chinese modernization advances, whole-process people’s democracy has been constantly expanding and deepening. It has ignited the enthusiasm of all people to participate in the country’s modernization drive, translating institutional strength into effective governance. It has become the solid foundation for the “governance of China.”

International observers believe that as whole-process people’s democracy continues to develop, the Chinese people are enjoying increasingly extensive rights and freedom. Whole-process people’s democracy has created new forms of human civilization, providing a science-based reference for other countries in the development of democracy.

Democracy is a concrete phenomenon that is constantly evolving. Rooted in history, culture and tradition, it takes diverse forms and develops along the paths chosen by different peoples based on their exploration and innovation.

The purpose of democracy is to safeguard and promote the well-being of all humanity. It should not become a barrier dividing people, nor should it become a tool for a few countries to serve their own narrow political agendas.

As the largest developing country in the world, China fully respects other developing countries’ efforts to pursue, develop and realize democracy, and the rights of all peoples to independently choose their own development paths. It opposes the acts of triggering division, spreading prejudice and undermining peace in the name of democracy.

In the richly diverse world, democracy comes in many forms. China is willing to work together with all countries to carry forward the common values of humanity – peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom. In a spirit of mutual respect and following the principle of seeking common ground while setting aside differences, countries will add new elements to the world’s political structure, and make new contributions to humanity’s cause of democracy.

By Zhao Shan

To further promote Chinese-foreign personnel exchanges, China has adopted a visa-free policy for Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg on a trial basis, which is effective from March 14 to November 30 this year.

According to Tongcheng Research Institute, the research arm under Chinese online tourism service provider Tongcheng Travel, the six countries included in the visa-free policy this time have close tourism exchanges with China. In March, the average daily bookings of inbound air tickets from Austria increased by 70 percent compared to the January-February period, while that from Switzerland also went up by 52 percent compared to the January-February period.

In recent times, China has been continuously expanding its visa-free “circle of friends,” and the tourism industry is expecting a significant increase in tourist orders from visa-free countries visiting China in the near future.

The head of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recently noted that China’s recent unilateral visa-free policies for multiple countries are an important measure to help the global tourism industry recover.

According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, outbound and inbound tourism from China is expected to proliferate in 2024 due to visa facilitation and increased airline capacity.

The international cruise ship Zuiderdam recently arrived at Dalian port in northeast China’s Liaoning province. It was the first international cruise ship to visit a city in northeast China since China resumed international cruise transportation in September last year.

The cruise ship carried over 2,000 tourists from 47 countries and regions to Dalian, who later visited various attractions in the city, including ocean parks, city squares and featured blocks.

Recently, Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province welcomed the first batch of tourists from Australia after the Spring Festival, most of whom came to Henan for the first time.

In recent years, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Henan Province has been actively promoting the international tourism brand of the province. It has conducted systematic international promotion activities, built cultural brands for overseas markets and established a cooperation system for inbound tourism. Positive results have been achieved.

In March, the province gradually welcomed thousands of tourists from countries and regions such as Australia, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Recently, the attractiveness of China’s tourism market has been continuously increasing, with a large number of South Korean tourists visiting Zhangjiajie, a famous tourist city in central China’s Hunan province. According to statistics, from early January to the end of February, Zhangjiajie received 98,000 inbound tourists, a 34-fold increase compared to the same period last year, with 42,000 of them from South Korea.

It is reported that Zhangjiajie has been focusing on creating unique tourism products to continuously attract South Korean tourists. Taking into account their preference for scenic landscapes, Zhangjiajie has introduced international tourism products centering on its amazing natural landscapes.

Given the similarities between China and South Korea in “filial piety culture,” Zhangjiajie has successfully made its name in the South Korean tourism market, earning praise among Korean tourists that taking parents on a trip to Zhangjiajie is an expression of filial piety.

In response to the rapidly recovering inbound tourism market, the tourism industry has taken swift action to enhance the appeal of Chinese tourism overseas.

Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism organized 13 regions across China, including Beijing and Shanghai, to participate in this year’s ITB Berlin, a tourism trade show considered one of the largest exhibitions in the global tourism industry.

The Chinese delegation became one of the highlights of the event. China Tourism Group Travel Services Co., Ltd. exhibited over 50 distinctive inbound tourism routes to Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, and other places, providing diverse options for different European customer segments. It also held in-depth discussions with more than 40 overseas travel agencies regarding customized tours, family trips, and group tours.

Xu Xiaolei, the Chief Brand Officer of China CYTS Tours Holding Co., Ltd., told People’s Daily that CYTS will continue to boost the inbound tourism market this year.

“We will focus on addressing the pain points of inbound tourism, such as payment, internet access, translation, and tour guides. We will also explore simplified processes for overseas visa application centers, increase the promotion of tourism resources to overseas customers, expand our customer base, and make full use of resources such as multilingual websites developed by CYTS and specialized training for tour guides, so as to ensure the quality of our services,” Xu said.

Sun Bowen, executive secretary-general of a research institute under Chinese online travel agency Ctrip, said that Ctrip will leverage technology, international resources, talent development, and e-commerce support programs to enhance the convenience of inbound tourism.

It is reported that on Ctrip’s international platform Trip.com, overseas tourists can make reservations for various inbound tourism products and services, including hotels, flights, train tickets, car rentals, airport transfers, attraction tickets, travel photography, dining, WiFi, and SIM cards. Currently, Trip.com provides services in 24 languages, covering 39 countries and regions.

By Wang Junling

As the customs of the world’s largest trading nation in goods, the Customs of China inspects the largest volume of goods each year, with the most diverse scenarios and most comprehensive modes.

The construction of China’s smart customs has entered a phase of comprehensive implementation this year, and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) will build nine landmark projects to make customs supervision services more intelligent and automated, said an official with the GACC at a regular press briefing recently.

In recent years, the rapid development of new technologies such as big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things has provided new ways and means for customs supervision services, offering strong technological support.

“We will continue to strengthen and explore the application of technological innovation in different customs scenarios,” said Chen Zongwang, deputy head of the Department of Science and Technology of the GACC, adding that the construction of smart customs will fully leverage the guiding and supporting role of technological innovation.

For example, through intelligent image recognition, various goods can be identified, which will enable a 24/7 working mode, reduce frontline pressure, and enhance port targeted supervision capabilities.

Additionally, intelligent trademark recognition technology for intellectual property rights can quickly search trademark information in the intellectual property rights filing system online, thus identifying infringing trademarks.

In recent years, the GACC has been continuously promoting digital transformation and intelligent upgrading, optimizing regulatory services and supporting the construction of the international logistics system.

Du Hongwei, deputy head of the Department of General Operation of the GACC, noted that the GACC will focus on three main areas of work in order to further promote high-level opening-up.

Firstly, the GACC will strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation. It will collaborate with the World Customs Organization on a “smart customs” project, actively promote a smart customs partnership initiative within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation framework, and deepen institutional cooperation on inspection and quarantine with customs of neighboring countries such as Central Asia and ASEAN countries.

It will also promote the electronic origin networking with members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and expand international cooperation on mutual recognition of AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) status.

Secondly, the GACC will serve high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. On one hand, it will expand the connection with international trade single windows and promote cooperation between China and Belt and Road partner countries in this area. On the other hand, it will further support the establishment of efficient international logistics corridors that are compatible with new production and logistics methods, and facilitate the coordinated development of international logistics corridors such as the China-Europe freight train service, the new western land-sea corridor, and the China-Laos Railway.

Thirdly, the GACC will facilitate the construction of high-level opening-up platforms. The administration has been actively exploring and designing intelligent solutions to the innovation of regulatory systems and the application of advanced technologies, focusing on the development of opening-up platforms including the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, comprehensive bonded zones and pilot free trade zones. It will continue to unleash the dividends of reform and contribute to the advancement of high-level institutional opening-up.

Promoting the construction of smart customs helps reduce trade costs and facilitates the clearance of personnel and goods. Currently, customs clearance in China is becoming smarter and smarter.

Thanks to the construction of an intelligent platform for cross-border trade in Hunchun, northeast China’s Jilin province, border residents can complete online declarations on their mobile phones, reducing the average clearance time by nearly 70 percent. The platform also allows customs officials to establish stronger service and supervision collaboration with departments such as taxation, banking, and fisheries associations through data connectivity.

Multiple airports, such as Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, are utilizing new intelligent facilities and equipment, including integrated smart channels, intelligent robots, and non-intrusive advanced inspection systems, to provide convenient services for inbound and outbound travelers during the customs clearance process.

“By taking technology as our eyes and using information as our ears, we can create the best customs clearance environment for law-abiding travelers,” said Xia Qian, an official with the Shanghai Customs.

According to Du, the GACC will promote the application of new technologies and facilities through optimizing non-intrusive supervision, and improve the level of automation in law enforcement operations in various fields such as maritime, land, air, rail, and postal services.

By Sun Chao, Du Yifei, People’s Daily

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited a joint venture in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province on March 18, where he learned about local endeavors to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and promote high-standard opening up.

BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd. is located in the Xiangjiang New Area of Changsha. It was established by German chemical giant BASF and Shanshan, a leading Chinese lithium-ion battery materials supplier, in 2021.

With a well-established research and development (R&D) system, a robust patent portfolio, as well as a low-carbon and sustainable supply chain, the company is dedicated to pioneering new chemical functionalities of positive electrode materials, in pursuit of a sustainable future.

BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd. is a miniature of the Xiangjiang New Area’s efforts to cultivate new quality productive forces and expand new growth momentum and advantages.

According to statistics, the Xiangjiang New Area’s R&D spending intensity, or the expenditure on R&D as a percentage of its GDP, for the first time exceeded five percent last year, ranking third among all new areas at the national level.

In 2023, 27 specialized and sophisticated small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that produce novel and unique products, and 500 high-tech firms were newly established in the Xiangjiang New Area, ranking second and third among all state-level new areas, respectively. The area is home to 64 state-level innovation platforms, accounting for over 40 percent of the total in Hunan province.

An industrial park of Zoomlion, a Chinese construction machinery and equipment manufacturer, in the Xiangjiang New Area, houses a number of heavyweight machines, including the all-terrain crane with the world’s largest tonnage, as well as the world’s tallest curved-arm aerial work platform. These innovative achievements highlight the strength of the Xiangjiang New Area in the field of intelligent manufacturing.

To the west of Tongzipo Road, there is a thoroughfare connecting dozens of listed companies engaged in engineering machinery, new energy, new materials, and biomedicine, and a huge number of SMEs as well.

Focusing on 15 industrial chains, the Xiangjiang New Area is determined to build itself into a nationally important high ground for advanced manufacturing and a hub of high-end industries.

HS Photonics is one of the star enterprises in the Xiangjiang New Area. It has independently developed the first generation of quantum dot laser in the domestic industry, and co-developed the world’s first sample of silicon optical module by quantum dot laser with a leading Chinese optical chip manufacturer.

The Xiangjiang New Area has made technological innovation an inherent part of its development, continuously unleashing new growth drivers.

Since 2023, the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha has been approved to build a state-level open innovation platform for a new generation of AI public computing power, with internationally advanced and nationally leading computing capabilities. A 200-petaflop AI innovation center has been established.

Besides, the Xiangjiang New Area is orderly promoting its scientific innovation programs, including four major science labs and ten landmark projects.

The Xiangjiang New Area, occupying only 0.5 percent of Hunan province’s land area, generates eight percent of the province’s GDP. The new area’s total economic output grew from 160 billion yuan ($22.22 billion) in 2015 to 450 billion yuan in 2023.

With innovation as its driving force and technology as an enabler, the Xiangjiang New Area is unleashing new vitality in its high-quality development.

By Yan Ke, Sun Chao, People’s Daily

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected Changsha, capital city of central China’s Hunan province on March 18, which has drawn more attention to this “cyberstar” city.

Changsha has made itself a great example showing how cultural advancement and economic development are integrated and mutually reinforcing each other.

As a city among the first batch of state-level famous historic and cultural cities in China, Changsha boasts profound cultural heritage. At the same time, it is home to a large number of trendy internet-famous brands, which leads to prosperous urban consumption. Many young tourists from outside the city would merge into the bustling crowds in downtown Changsha, even before dropping off their suitcases, just to visit the stores they have long coveted.

Building upon the Hunan culture, which stresses practicality, Changsha has well blended its culture into the hustle and bustle of the urban life. The popularity of “cyberstar” cities exactly stems from their vitality in cultural economy.

Culture endows economic development with profound humanistic value. Cultural economy encompasses the processes of cultural economization and economic culturalization, which essentially involve the integration and mutual development of culture and economy.

Modern China Tea Shop is a local bubble tea brand in Changsha that has gained fame across the entire country. Why are so many tourists traveling to Changsha just to take a sip of its bubble tea?

Lyu Liang, the founder of the bubble tea brand, said that they once spent over 100,000 yuan ($13,890) to purchase the copyright of a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) portrait, solely for making innovative designs of bubble tea cups.

“Culture is the most nourishing soil for a brand,” Lyu said.

Culture empowers the economy and paints the humanistic feature of a city.

In Changsha, the most bustling commercial areas are often the ones with a long history. Historical and cultural sites, including the Chaozong Street, the Taiping Street, and the Duzheng Street, have been revitalized through urban renewal. Passing through tranquil residences of historical figures, tourists in the city will find themselves surrounded by vibrant and trendy stores. These streets, deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of Changsha and yet exuding a fashionable atmosphere, have become the most dynamic places in Changsha at night.

Economic development vitalizes culture and injects new vitality into a city’s innovation.

The dazzling neon at the foot of the Yuelu Mountain, the internet-famous bookstores on Juzizhou Island, and the bustling night markets all depict the youthful and energetic image of Changsha.

In 2022, the population of Changsha increased by 181,300. As a city that leads economic development in Hunan province, Changsha has recently set a new goal of building itself into a global research and development center. The attractiveness to talents, fueled by the city’s vibrant energy, is one of its important driving forces.

The Changsha Huagu Opera theater has gained 3.5 million views at the first livestreaming performances on short video platform Douyin in September 2022, which is 70 times more than the number of in-person audience it receives in a year. Today, many Gen-Zers who enjoy the Huagu Opera are also hitting the theaters to feel the charm of the traditional art form.

Profound yet dynamic, ancient yet youthful, the zeitgeist of Changsha reflects the inclusiveness and pioneering spirit of Hunan, as well as progressive spirit of the Chinese nation – staying on the right course without following the beaten track and respecting traditions but not obsolete practices.

By Qin Ruijie, People’s Daily

In the village of Hongya in Longde county, Guyuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, a bonfire crackled merrily on a lively night. Young people and children gathered around the fire, mustering their courage to run, jump, and leap over the flame, welcoming the arrival of spring.

“Liaogan” is a folk custom in northwest China, said Yang Guoquan, a resident in the village, adding that jumping over the bonfire symbolizes warding off illness and disasters.

“Once the Liaogan Festival is over, spring will arrive,” Yang said. “The best Liaogan activities in Guyuan are in our Old Lanes.”

“The more vibrant our folk customs are, the happier the villagers feel, and the more tourists come. Some say it is the cultural essence of the Old Lanes that has allowed us to profit from the cultural industry,” Yang told People’s Daily.

The “Old Lanes” Yang referred to is an old street in Hongya village, which is covered by bluestone pavement and lined on the two sides with stone walls whose crevices are filled with yellow mud. The traditional architectural style of the Liupan Mountain area where the Hongya village is located, is well preserved

In 2010, Longde county launched a renovation plan to protect the well-preserved residential houses along the old street and named the street “Old Lanes.” In 2016, the second phase of renovation of Hongya village began, transforming this national-level traditional village into a scenic area.

Though the village was turned into a scenic area, the villagers still had to live there. Therefore a meeting was held to discuss the future of the village.

“In the past, we all made a living by farming,” said Zhang Hongsheng, the Party head of the Hongya community. It were the village cadres that brought back tourism experiences from other villages that encouraged Hongya to develop tourism, Zhang recalled.

Soon after, many agritainment businesses sprang up along the Old Lanes. Yang started a B&B hotel with an investment of 50,000 yuan ($6,946.28), while villager He Gong converted his courtyard into a restaurant, building 18 private dining rooms.

However, when the villagers calculated their accounts, most of them found themselves operating at a loss.

“Business was decent at first, but it gradually declined. The Old Lanes lacked tourist attractions, making it difficult to retain visitors for long,” a villager said.

“These small courtyards looked nice, but the quality was still not up to par,” said another.

To help solve the problem, villagers voiced their various ideas. “It’s not enough for us to have just a scenic area. We need something special and unique to attract visitors,” said He, suggesting they capitalize on the “old” of the Old Lanes by tapping into its cultural heritage.

Once this direction was set, concrete plans followed – opening traditional handicraft workshops, introducing exhibitions of Longde’s intangible cultural heritage, promoting local specialty hot pot dishes… Yang also leveraged his paper-cutting skills, opening a paper-cutting workshop.

Holding the paper with his left hand, scissors in his right, Yang made a big cut for the basic outline, then meticulously carved out intricate patterns. In no time, a Chinese character “chun” (spring) in the shape of a peach emerged from his cuts.

“Paper-cutting was just a hobby of me, and I never thought it could become something big when combined with tourism,” said Yang, who is now a municipal-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting. The popularity of his workshop has livened up his B&B hotel.

Nowadays, paper-cutting is not the only intangible cultural heritage in the Old Lanes. During the initial renovation, eight connected old courtyards in Hongya village were preserved, exhibiting traditional intangible cultural heritage items like Wei-style brick carvings, local folk celebration, Yang-style clay sculptures, and more. Each courtyard has its unique attraction, and together they form an interconnected cultural space.

“Activities are frequently held in the courtyards, with live demonstrations of clay sculpting, face mask painting, and shadow puppetry performances. The melodious tunes of local opera are more attractive than any hawking,” said Zhang.

The cultural attractions have boosted business. Visitors are streaming into the Old Lanes year-round, and He’s courtyard restaurant is always packed. “During the peak period in summer, our daily revenue can reach 20,000 yuan,” said He.

Nowadays, the Old Lanes scenic area has 48 businesses, including calligraphy and painting studios, restaurants, B&B hotels, and gift shops. The annual average disposable income there has risen from just a few thousand yuan before the renovation to 26,000 yuan in 2023. In 2022, the scenic area welcomed around 350,000 visitors and generated a direct revenue of 20 million yuan.

“The charm of Hongya village lies in its vibrant culture,” said Zhang. Many scenic villages across China have become purely commercial spots, while Hongya village has preserved a rare authenticity, he added.