On January 28, a symposium themed “Building a New Silk Road Bond, Guizhou and Kazakhstan Join Hands to Write a Splendid Chapter” was successfully held in Guiyang, featuring Kazakhstan national travel agents visiting Guizhou. Thirty-five guests from the cultural tourism, foreign affairs, sports, and civil aviation sectors of China and Kazakhstan gathered together to renew friendship, discuss cooperation, and inject new momentum into the deep integration of the cultural tourism industries of Guizhou and Kazakhstan.

Representatives from the Guizhou Tourism Group, Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Provincial Foreign Affairs Friendship Association, Provincial Sports Talent Exchange and Development Center, Civil Aviation Industry Group Marketing Department, and related business units of Guizhou Tourism Group attended the symposium, along with 25 industry representatives from Kazakhstan, including officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Kazakhstan Tourism Association.

Before the symposium, the Kazakhstan travel agent delegation conducted field visits to tourist attractions in Guiyang, Anshun, and the Qiandongnan Prefecture, deeply experiencing and feeling the unique charm of Guizhou’s mountain tourism and its humanistic customs. The two sides will take this inspection and exchange activity as an opportunity to establish a long-term and stable win-win cooperation mechanism, promote more Central Asian tourists to visit Guizhou, facilitate the sharing of cultural tourism resources and mutual market expansion between the two regions, and jointly write a new chapter in Silk Road cultural tourism cooperation.

Silk Road

The Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes connecting East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, active from around 130 BCE to the 15th century CE. It facilitated the exchange of goods like silk, spices, and precious metals, as well as cultural and technological innovations, such as papermaking and gunpowder. While not a single road, it was pivotal in shaping civilizations and fostering global interaction until maritime trade routes diminished its prominence.

Guiyang

Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province in southwestern China, is a city known for its lush green landscapes and diverse ethnic cultures. Historically, it developed as a key administrative and trade hub during the Ming and Qing dynasties, though it remained relatively isolated due to its mountainous terrain. Today, it is celebrated for its cool climate, vibrant minority heritage, and modern urban growth.

Guizhou

Guizhou is a mountainous province in southwest China known for its stunning karst landscapes, diverse ethnic minority cultures, and rich biodiversity. Historically, it was a remote frontier region that became more integrated during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it played a significant role in the Long March of the Chinese Communist Party in the 1930s. Today, Guizhou is recognized for its rapid development in technology and tourism, while preserving its traditional villages and customs.

Anshun

Anshun is a city in Guizhou Province, China, known for its stunning natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Historically, it served as a strategic military outpost during the Ming Dynasty and later became a key hub for trade along the ancient Southern Silk Road. Today, it is famous for attractions like the Huangguoshu Waterfall and the Tunpu villages, which preserve Ming-era architecture and customs.

Qiandongnan Prefecture

Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, located in southeastern Guizhou Province, China, is renowned for its rich ethnic diversity and stunning terraced landscapes. Historically, the region has been home to the Miao and Dong peoples for centuries, preserving traditional customs, wooden stilt houses, and vibrant festivals like the Lusheng Dance. It is a key cultural site for experiencing authentic minority heritage, with ancient villages such as Zhaoxing and Xijiang offering a window into centuries-old ways of life.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a vast Central Asian country with a rich nomadic history, once part of the Mongol Empire and later the Soviet Union before gaining independence in 1991. Its culture blends traditional nomadic customs with modern influences, exemplified by sites like the ancient mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan. Today, it is known for its steppe landscapes, modern capital Astana (Nur-Sultan), and significant role in regional geopolitics.

Central Asia

Central Asia is a historically significant region comprising countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It was a crossroads of ancient trade routes, most notably the Silk Road, which facilitated cultural and economic exchange between East and West. The area was shaped by powerful empires such as the Mongols and Timurids, and later became part of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union before gaining independence in 1991.

Guizhou Tourism Group

Guizhou Tourism Group is a state-owned enterprise based in Guizhou Province, China, dedicated to promoting tourism and cultural exchange in the region. Established to leverage Guizhou’s rich natural landscapes—such as the Huangguoshu Waterfall and Fanjing Mountain—as well as its diverse ethnic heritage, the group plays a key role in developing local tourism infrastructure and services. It aims to enhance visitor experiences while preserving the cultural and environmental resources of the province.