Eric's Insight: Yunnan ethnic groups live in unity, prosperity under Party’s care

Ethnic residents in Yunnan's Pu'er city wave national flags at the news of President Xi Jinping's reply letter on Sept. 25.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has encouraged people of various ethnic groups in Pu'er city, Yunnan province, to bear in mind forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation to promote ethnic unity and progress.

Xi did this in a reply letter to descendants of the representatives from diverse ethnic groups who erected a monument in 1951 in Pu'er and made a solemn pledge to stay united and follow the leadership of the Party. Since then, all ethnic groups in Yunnan have stood in solidarity with the Party and worked in unity to achieve rural revitalization and socioeconomic prosperity in the border areas.

 

A view of the Jingmai Mountain that has been recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in Sept. 2023.

First, cultural tourism thrives via new business modes. Thanks to its beautiful landscape and diverse ethnic cultures, Yunnan has been appealing to global tourists, and amid China’s reform and opening-up Yunnan tourism has emerged as a pillar industry for provincial economic prosperity. With the implementation of the visa-free policy for visitors, the many-splendored Yunnan life is enjoyed by more international guests.

In southwest Yunnan’s Pu’er where the ethnic unity oath was taken, the Jingmai Mountain has been recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site for its sustainable understory tea plantation, and now the Pu’er tea culture and its related products are increasingly popular among traders and tourists. In 2023, the output value of Jingmai tea industry reached 517 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31.55%.

In Mt. Jingmai, 21-year-old Dai girl Xian Jin and her boyfriend are selling tea online, and their turnover of each session of live stream reached about 5,000 yuan. "My yearly tea income is 150,000 yuan, the catering income is 170,000 yuan, and the tourist reception income is 20,000 yuan," said Er Ken, a Bulang women in her 30s.

 

The China-Laos tourism train StarExpress kicks off its maiden voyage on Sept. 24

Second, China-Laos Railway brings new money. As a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Laos Railway has allowed Yunnan specialties to access the vast ASEAN market faster, while bringing more tropical fruits and fresh seafood to the dinner tables of Yunnan ethnic groups.

From January to July this year, the fruits transportation volume via China-Laos Railway exceeded 100,000 tons, up 119.85% year on year. As of mid-September, the railway has handled over 10 million tons of imported and exported goods since it was put into operation in December 2021.

Starting on Sept. 24, Yunnan vegetables and fruits can be transported to Thailand within 3.5 days via a special Kunming-Vientiane-Bangkok rail and road service. On the same day, the China-Laos tourism train StarExpress kicked off its maiden voyage from Yunnan’s Kunming city, passing through the Tropic of Cancer park in Pu’er city and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang.

 

An ethnic farmer hervests coffee fruits in a Yunnan plantation. Photo/Yunnan Updates

Third, new produces enrich local farmers. In its bid to battle poverty and achieve rural revitalization, Yunnan has been developing new specialties like coffee and avocado, and these economic produces won policy support from the Party and central government, enriching local farmers and entertaining tourists from outside Yunnan.

Sharing borders with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, the world’s second largest coffee producer, southwest Yunnan's Pu'er is known as "home to Chinese coffee", producing around half of the Chinese coffee beans. Now the city has designed appealing coffee tours, regarding coffee as a trump card for its cultural tourism. The number of coffee shops in Pu’er has increased to some 160 over the years, ushering in crowds of tourists.

In Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa autonomous county of Pu’er city, the exotic avocados have been turned into a local specialty. As of mid-August, the avocado planting area in Menglian has reached 120,700 million mu (about 8046.67 ha), making it the largest avocado cultivation base in China. 37,000 ethnic folks in the county have benefited from avocados, receiving a dividend of 7,000 yuan from per mu of avocado production.

 

Ethnic residents in Yunnan's Pu'er city stage a performance at the news of President Xi Jinping's reply letter on Sept. 25.

Writing by Wang Shixue; Photos by Yunnan Daily; Proofreading by Zu Hongbing and Wang Huan