CGTN published an article on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s inspection tour in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Through introducing Yunnan’s efforts in advancing the “flower economy” and fostering cultural tourism, the article highlights the province’s push for high-quality rural development in line with local conditions, aiming to break new ground in the pursuit of Chinese modernization.

BEIJING, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Located in Lijiang in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Lijiang Modern Flower Industrial Park is an epitome of China's efforts to advance rural revitalization.

Empowered by intelligent production system, all the greenhouses in the park use soilless cultivation technology, with the coverage rate of integrated water and fertilizer irrigation facilities reaching more than 85 percent.

Relying on the nearby Lijiang Airport, products such as fresh-cut roses and calla lilies can be delivered by air to cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou within 36 hours, and sold to countries such as Japan, Vietnam and Russia, creating jobs for more than 300 people in the surrounding rural areas.

Visiting the park on Wednesday afternoon, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with villagers and technicians, inquiring about flower varieties, market sales and their incomes.

The villagers told Xi that they earned over 4,000 yuan (about $557.46) per month on average, with their monthly incomes exceeding 7,000 yuan during peak seasons. Growing flowers is a truly joyful job, they shared.

'Your endeavor is thriving and aligns with the development path of modern agriculture. May your lives be as beautiful as flowers,' Xi said with delight.

'Flower economy'

Developing distinctive industries has always been Xi's focus of attention during his domestic inspections in recent years. 'The key to rural revitalization is industrial revitalization,' he once said.

Yunnan's unique geographical and climatic conditions have earned the province the reputation of the 'plant kingdom,' giving rise to the development of 'flower economy.' For many years, Yunnan's output of fresh-cut flowers has ranked top in the country.

In 2024, the province's flower planting area reached 1.95 million mu (about 130,000 hectares), including 350,000 mu dedicated to fresh-cut flowers. A total of 20.6 billion fresh-cut flowers were produced, ranking first globally.

The flower industry in Yunnan directly employs 380,000 people in planting, sorting and packaging, logistics and e-commerce, with over 1 million more employed indirectly. Decades of efforts by local people have established a full-fledged industrial chain, including Asia's first and the world's second-largest flower auction center.

At the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center, the average daily trading volume reached 7.06 million stems in 2024, with an average transaction time of only 4 seconds per order and a transaction rate of 95.34 percent.

Flowers auctioned here are not only sent to major Chinese cities, but also exported to over 50 countries and regions.

Promoting industrial transformation and upgrade is the key task of high-quality development, Xi emphasized during the inspection, calling on Yunnan to actively foster strategic emerging industries and future industries.

Integration of culture and tourism

Xi also visited the Old Town of Lijiang on Wednesday to learn about local efforts to enhance the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage.

'The town's culture, scenery and folk traditions are truly captivating,' Xi said, adding that the integration of culture and tourism has boosted the economy.

The Old Town of Lijiang, with a history of more than 800 years, was listed as a world cultural heritage site by the UNESCO in 1997. Over the past 27 years, the town has built 30 cultural courtyards, creating new scenarios for cultural heritage and promoting the development of the local cultural and tourism industry.

Today, the town's tourism industry continues to thrive, with business spanning catering, accommodation, handicrafts and performing arts. An increasing number of young people are starting businesses here, committing themselves to the inheritance and promotion of national cultural heritage.

Currently, the town is vigorously developing cultural heritage tourism by expanding cultural attractions and street landmarks. By organizing various activities to create a rich cultural atmosphere, Lijiang successfully attracts visitors from all over the world.

From January to September last year, the town welcomed a total of 17.05 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 13.07 percent.

It is imperative to promote cultural tourism to improve people's income and properly handle the relationship between protection and development, Xi said, urging that the cultural and tourism industry should follow a path of sustainable and healthy development.

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Contact: CGTN
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