by Dzudzie Faith Netshisaulu for The News Gazette, in China
These are the sentiments of He Qing, the Secretary of the CPC Wulong District Committee of Chongqing. Qing was speaking during a dialogue session with journalists from across the world on Tuesday the 27th of August at Wulong’s Cook’s Club Hotel, who have converged to cover this year’s edition of the annual Belt and Road Journalists Forum taking place in Chongqing, China.
Hosted by the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) and jointly organised by the Chongqing Journalists Association (CJA) and the Western China International Communication Organisation (WCICO), this years’ Belt and Road Journalists Forum is under the theme, “Expand the Path of Opportunities, Share a Bright Future.”
The Forum has gathered journalists, media practitioners and representatives from different journalists’ forums from around the world to share insights on how different journalism forums work and how they can work together. The Forum is set to take place on Saturday at the Wyndham Hotel in Chongqing; however, the organisers have gone out of their way to showcase Chongqing and its beauty to their guests through a week long bus travel to Chongqing’s different Districts, local exhibition centres, tourists attraction sites like the Chongqing Baiheliang Underwater Museum, to name a few.
Chongqing, a Southwestern inland city in China, boasts beautiful scenery of lush and green mountains, and beautiful rivers that run through the city, earning itself the nicknames “Mountain City and “River City”. Chongqing mothers the famous Yangtze River, which runs through the city, spreading a good 691 kilometres, then joined by the Jialing and Wujiang Rivers.
The tour of some of Chongqing’s famous districts started off with some sightseeing of local innovative delights like the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park and the Chongqing Railway Container Terminal Station, where journalists were transported back to time when Chongqing was in its development stages, to what it is now and how the city plans to continue developing further.
The tour then proceeded with a 2-hour drive over a beautiful sunset to the Majestic Fairy Mountain, located in the Wulong District, where the team, mostly made up of foreign journalists and some local media were ushered to the classy and elegant Cook’s Club Chongqing Fairy Mountain Hotel for some dinner before meeting with Qing for the dialogue session.
Qing, who has lived and worked in Wulong himself, shared the journey of transforming Wulong from just another district in Chongqing to being named the World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO and one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages.
While plans are underway to develop the Wulong District more, Qing stressed the importance of strengthening and preserving the ecological and environmental aspect of the district which spans a total of 2901kilometres.
Wulong, according to Qing, adheres to three red lines of preservation, which are Ecological Protection, Farmland Protection and Urban Development Boundaries; and these are to be remembered always.
Qing also highlighted the importance of working with residents to develop and seek for progress together. He said Wulong strived on the principles of joint contribution and sharing, which would mean enjoying dividends together.
This District also identifies as an agricultural zone which could see locally produced fresh products of high quality.
He also highlighted employment opportunities that could see unique construction opportunity being handled by locals as they are the ones who may have the best skill to complete the construction sites.
Nestled in the Southeastern part of Chongqing, Wulong, which means “strength and prosperity”, is a gem of serene scenery and tranquil bushes and Greenland. It makes for a beautiful, picturesque Disneyland movie setting.
A mystery of hidden treasures, and a sight of colourful oriental buildings, the Wulong District oozes with amazing wonders to quench a tourist’s thirst to connect with nature.
The famous Three National Bridges, a marvel of beautiful landscapes, unique stone art of hollow natural stone bridges, and a work of art by mother nature herself, is a huge tourist attraction for both local and international travelers. This beautiful land hosts art crafters who sell hand made jewelleries and other memorabilia for visitors. The uneven terrain, long spiral stairs that lead you from top of the mountain the very bottom, is a treasure for trekkers.
It has also served as a scene for some great American action films like the Transformer 4.
Meanwhile tourists also get an opportunity to connect with locals and indigenous people of Wulong through the Jingzhu Village, which preserves the local culture of food, and ways of life.
The Wulong District is also well-known for its interest in sporting activities, with it being the host of the Polo Sport, the home of the 1003 Polo club.
A community filled with colourful and traditional houses, Wulong’s population of about 410 000 registered residents, enjoys a vibrant long street of cheers as locals share and enjoy locally produced fresh and organic food products. Fresh vegetable stalls, markets and street food vendors create a buzz that attracts visitors to join locals for some drinks and cheer.
Qing also highlighted the introduction of a faster mode of transportation from the main Chongqing city and other areas to the Wulong District, with the introduction of high speed rail which would see travel time be reduced significantly.
While the railway will not be completed overnight, Qing is hopeful that the majestic Wulong District will continue to attract tourists from far and wide, keep the tourism sector alive and take care of its people by creating sustainable working partnerships, ensuring steady incomes for households.
As a journalist from South Africa who came to China with no clue on what to expect, I certainly do take some Wulong back to South Africa with me; memories of beautiful and welcoming smiles from locals, who amidst the language barrier found ways to communicate, connect with us and welcome us as one of their own. I take with me memories of driving around the beautiful misty, white, and mountainous curvy roads of Wulong, the chatter and laughter of friends I have made in this trip. Lastly, I take with me a wish to return to Wulong for another beautiful cultural experience.
