A delegation of journalists from the world's leading media organizations tour Gansu

LANZHOU, PINGLIANG and QINGYANG, China, March 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The seven-day Foreign Journalists' Visit to Gansu 2023, jointly organized by The Information Office of Gansu Provincial People's Government and the China Center for International Communication Development of CICG, came to a successful conclusion on February 26.

The delegation of journalists visited Lanzhou, the city that earned its fame for being one of the key stops along the ancient Silk Road, Qingyang, the cradle of Chinese agricultural civilization and medicine culture, and Pingliang, one of the original sources of Chinese civilization.

Understanding Gansu culture through its historical heritage

The journalists visited Lanzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall, Qinqiang Museum and Lanzhou Yellow River Bridge Museum, and viewed several contributions to Chinese intangible cultural heritage, including the Lanzhou Taiping Drum, the Lanzhou Drum, and the Lanzhou Gourd Carving. Through the distinctive exhibitions, the tradition-rich Qinqiang Opera performances, and precious original exhibits and miniature landscape models, they learned about the history of the bridges dotting the Yellow River, and experienced Gansu's many folk cultures and their development.

Observing sustainable development through new technologies

The delegation also visited the Comprehensive Intelligent Emergency Control Center at Lanzhou New Area Green Chemical Park, the production facilities of Gansu Hailiang New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., and the Pingliang Industrial Park (High-tech Zone) Comprehensive Energy Supply Area. They were given a tour of the area's traditional coal sector, and developed an understanding of how the sector had been transformed through an optimization of the energy structure supporting the province's traditional industries by extending the "coal industry chain", and building on top of that chain to develop energy and chemical industry clusters.

Witnessing rural revitalization in Gansu Province through field visits

The journalists also toured Maosi Village, Xiansheng Town, Xifeng District, and the Master Herbalist Cave Health Town. The walks through the restored ancient buildings and local cave farmhouses, and the stop at the top of the glass bridge from which one can take in a panoramic view of the town's scenery, gave the journalists a genuine feel for the attraction and charisma of the area's history and traditional customs. They learned more about the folk culture of eastern Gansu and the province's experience in promoting rural revitalization as well as about the area's economic and social development through the integration of culture and tourism.

Gansu province was one of the first regions in China to develop strategies for environmental protection and to promote the kind of quality development in the Yellow River Basin that takes into account the local ecology. In recent years, Gansu's government has understood the degree to which the province's "lucid waters and lush mountains" are invaluable assets, and has integrated this viewpoint into its economic and social development. With the advantages bestowed on the eastern half of Gansu as a result of its energy reserves, the province has driven quality economic development while conserving the ecological environment. Gansu aims to promote the development of its cultural tourism industry by virtue of its precise positioning in the industry and the implementation of policies that support rural revitalization.

Guo Jinshi, director general of Publicity Department of the CPC Gansu Provincial  Committee, said that he welcomed the journalists to visit Gansu in person to collect information first-hand, to take note of the amazing changes that have taken place throughout Gansu and tell the province's story. Fan Daqi, deputy director of the China Center for International Communication Development, said that he looked forward to experiencing the cultural charm of Gansu with the world's journalists, listening to the real stories about the ecological and economic achievements made by the province, and helping build a bridge for communication between China and the rest of the world.