On January 28, a symposium titled “Building a New Silk Road Bond, Guizhou and Kazakhstan Join Hands to Write a Splendid Chapter” was successfully held in Guiyang, featuring a delegation of travel agents from Kazakhstan. 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 Guizhou and Kazakhstan’s cultural tourism industries.

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

New Silk Road

The New Silk Road, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative, is a modern development strategy launched by China in 2013 to revive ancient trade routes and enhance global connectivity. It consists of a land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” and a maritime “21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” aiming to foster economic cooperation, infrastructure development, and cultural exchange across Asia, Europe, and Africa. The initiative draws inspiration from the historic Silk Road, which facilitated trade between East and West for over a millennium.

Guiyang

Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province in southwestern China, known for its scenic mountains, humid climate, and diverse ethnic culture. Historically, it developed as a key administrative and trade center during the Ming and Qing dynasties, though it remained relatively isolated until modern transportation links improved its accessibility. Today, it is a growing hub for technology and tourism, offering attractions like Jiaxiu Tower and the Qianling Park.

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 stop on the ancient Southern Silk Road. The area is famous for the Huangguoshu Waterfall, one of Asia’s largest waterfalls, and the Tunpu culture, which preserves Ming-era traditions and architecture.

Qiandongnan Prefecture

Qiandongnan Prefecture, located in southeastern Guizhou Province, China, is a culturally rich region primarily inhabited by the Miao and Dong ethnic minorities. It is renowned for its stunning terraced rice fields, ancient wooden stilt houses, and vibrant festivals, such as the Lusheng Festival and the Dong Grand Song tradition. Historically, the area has preserved its distinct ethnic heritage for centuries, with many villages dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, offering a window into traditional rural life in Southwest China.

Guizhou

Guizhou is a mountainous province in southwest China known for its rich ethnic diversity, with over 30 minority groups including the Miao, Dong, and Buyi. Historically, it was a remote frontier region that became more integrated into China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it later gained fame for its revolutionary sites, such as the Zunyi Conference, a key event in the Chinese Communist Party’s history. Today, Guizhou is celebrated for its stunning natural landscapes, like Huangguoshu Waterfall, and its vibrant traditional festivals.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a vast Central Asian nation known for its nomadic heritage and dramatic landscapes, from the steppes to the Altai Mountains. Historically, it was part of the Mongol Empire and later the Russian Empire before becoming a Soviet republic, gaining independence in 1991. Today, its modern capital, Astana (now Nur-Sultan), showcases futuristic architecture, while the country blends ancient traditions with rapid economic development.

Central Asia

Central Asia is a vast, landlocked region comprising countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, historically known as the heart of the Silk Road. For centuries, it was a crossroads of trade, culture, and empires, including the Persian, Mongol, and Timurid dynasties, which left a legacy of stunning Islamic architecture and ancient cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Today, the region blends its rich nomadic and Soviet-era history with modern development, offering unique cultural traditions and natural landscapes.

Silk Road

The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes connecting East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, flourishing from around the 2nd century BCE to the 15th century CE. It facilitated the exchange of goods like silk, spices, and precious metals, as well as ideas, cultures, and technologies between civilizations. This route played a crucial role in shaping world history by fostering economic and cultural interactions between empires such as China, Persia, and Rome.