Residents of Zhaoxing Dong village in SW China's Guizhou embrace better life

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited Zhaoxing Dong village in Liping county of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province on the afternoon of March 17, 2025.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is welcomed by villagers singing the grand song of the Dong ethnic group while visiting the Zhaoxing Dong village in Liping county of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025.  (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

He learned about local initiatives in strengthening primary-level Party organizations, enhancing social governance, preserving and promoting ethnic traditional culture, and advancing comprehensive rural revitalization.

An artisan showcases batik-making skills of the Dong ethnic group in Zhaoxing Dong village, Liping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Yao Jingquan)

Seeing the well-preserved village and the happiness of the Dong people, Xi expressed satisfaction and hoped that the villagers would further advance rural revitalization and contribute to the progress of Chinese modernization, wishing their lives to grow more prosperous with each passing day.

Zhaoxing Dong village, established during the Northern Song Dynasty (960—1127), is one of the largest Dong villages in China.

"The Party and government have helped us explore, protect, and develop the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group, a form of a folk chorus inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list," said villager Wu Bangmei, who, along with her companions, welcomed Xi with a performance of the grand song, expressing their determination to preserve their ethnic culture.

Photo shows an interior view of a base of locally-featured industries in Zhaoxing Dong village, Liping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Yao Jingquan)

Tang Dacai, director of Liping county's culture and tourism bureau, said Zhaoxing has innovatively developed tourism products themed on performances of the grand song and batik craftsmanship in recent years. Last year, Zhaoxing Dong village received over 1 million tourist visits.

In recent years, with the boost from tourism and other locally-featured industries, the Dong people have embraced prosperity by inheriting traditional craftsmanship, developing ethnic handicrafts, launching cultural and creative products, and expanding the homestay industry.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sits with villagers around a firepit to discuss all-around rural revitalization at a drum tower while visiting the Zhaoxing Dong village in Liping county of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

"We've gained market recognition by modernizing traditional skills. After our cooperative was established in 2014, its membership grew from seven to 218 people from over 100 villages, helping more than 1,000 people increase their incomes," Lu Yongmei, who oversees a dyeing house, told Xi about the cooperative's development.

"The general secretary showed a lot of interest in the cooperative's positive impact. This motivated me to continue passing on our culture, better developing the industry, and helping more villagers fatten their wallets," Lu said.