General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the ancient city of Lijiang, Yunnan on the afternoon of March 19 to learn about the local situation of strengthening the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. The General Secretary pointed out that the culture, scenery and folk customs here are very attractive, and the integration of culture and tourism has promoted economic development. The cultural and tourism industry must take a sustainable and healthy development path.

The ancient city of Lijiang was built in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, and has a history of about 800 years. Flowers and trees are flourishing, and snow-capped mountains are the screens. This dazzling plateau pearl on the northwestern Yunnan has accumulated a profound cultural heritage over the long years and is outstanding in its charm. Today, it combines world cultural heritage and national historical and cultural city and is well-known both at home and abroad.

The beauty of Lingjun in harmony with nature here - the melting water of the ice and snow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain forms a river running through the ancient city. The building complex is arranged along the mountains and rivers, along the slopes, and along the water. There is no ruled road network in the city and no strict walls. Flowing urban space, vital water system, and residential buildings of appropriate scales gather into a unique and elegant demeanor.

Strive through it, there are hundreds of bridges, thousands of alleys, and clear streams surrounding the yard. The architectural layouts such as three yards and one screen wall, four yards and five courtyards, and one entrance and two courtyards show the cultural characteristics and natural beauty. The leisurely scenery of "small bridges and flowing waters" is in sight. The traditional Chinese wisdom of Tao following nature and unity of man and nature is contained in it, nourishing people's daily lives.

This is a snow scene in the ancient city of Lijiang that was photographed recently. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Xinbo

There are ways to unite the exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups here-

The ancient buildings that can be seen everywhere are mainly based on the Naxi style, integrating the essence of multi-ethnicity and are unique ingenious; the Mu Mansion in the city was originally the government office of the Mu family of hereditary chieftains, and the plaques such as "Seriously serving the country" hung there show the characteristics of cultural integration; in the evening, tourists from all over the world followed Naxi's mother and danced happily around the bonfire, and they were inseparable from each other...

As an important town in the ancient tea and horse road, the ancient city of Lijiang has been prosperous since ancient times, and multi-ethnic compatriots live in harmony here, forming a compatible social atmosphere. Now, the sound of horse hooves is far away, and the stories of all ethnic groups integrating blood, having the same beliefs, cultural communication, economic dependence, and emotional blind dates have never stopped.

Recently, tourists visited the ancient city of Lijiang. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Chao

There is a distant literary charm that has been shining through the years.

In the ancient city, the four words "The rain flows in the sky" on a archway are particularly eye-catching, and their Naxi meaning is "go to read". During the Ming and Qing dynasties, schools were established in the ancient city, and "The sky is filled with fragrance" made a legend and became a vivid footnote to the ancient city of Lijiang with a long history and constant sings.

This is the archway of the ancient city of Lijiang that was recently photographed. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Chao

In recent years, the local area has been committed to maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the ancient city, closely combining the protection of cultural heritage with the improvement of the tourism environment, the improvement of national cultural taste, the enrichment of historical and cultural city connotation, and the improvement of the quality of life of the indigenous residents of the ancient city.

When people walk along the stone road into ancient courtyards that have become "live" due to cultural experience, listen to the ancient music of Naxi with their own ears, experience various representative projects of intangible cultural heritage, and feel the leisurely and understanding, and you can feel the cultural charm of long-lasting water and silent moistening things.

On the land of China, ancient cities, ancient towns, ancient blocks and villages embody the essence of excellent traditional culture, and also shows the roots and veins of our nation. During inspections, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward clear requirements and made comprehensive arrangements for protecting and inheriting these cultural heritages.

In January 2022, the General Secretary came to Pingyao Ancient City, emphasizing that "we must respect history, culture, ecology, and comprehensively protect historical and cultural heritage" and "protect the precious wealth left to us by our predecessors";

In July 2023, the General Secretary went to the Pingjiang Historical and Cultural District in Suzhou to appreciate the Pingtan performance, pointing out that the local area "has done a good job in the combination of tradition and modernity", and urged "to protect, excavate and use it well, not only inherit it in the material form, but also in the heart";

Just a few days ago, the General Secretary pointed out during his inspection of Zhaoxing Dong Village, Liping County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, "Tourism is a big industry now, rural tourism is in full swing, ethnic areas should retain their own unique culture and highlight its glory in the integration of culture and tourism."

The past is absorbed and the present is transformed into new things, and historical and cultural heritage not only vividly tells the past, but also profoundly affects the present and the future, demonstrating a vigorous and powerful vitality of life.

Recently, tourists visited the Mu Mansion of Lijiang Ancient City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Xinbo

Today's Lijiang Ancient City has taken active activities such as folk songs, literature, and art to incubate the "new cultural business card"; to creating high-quality routes such as historical and cultural journeys and traditional architectural journeys, integrating colorful ethnic customs into cultural and tourism formats; to normalizing the development of festivals, folk customs, and theme cultural activities to retain the atmosphere of fireworks... The vitality here attracts more and more people to come, touch the temperature of historical memory, taste the fusion of the past and the present, and appreciate its charm and charm.

This is the vitality of the ancient city and the code of the endless and long-standing Chinese civilization.

Reporter: Hu Mengxue, Gao Lei, Ziqiang

Visual: Zhu Siming, Jia Yining

Co-produced by Xinhua News Agency and Yunnan Branch