"Sincerely welcome everyone to experience the 'Yunnan way of life,'" wrote Wang Ning, a representative of the National People's Congress and the Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, in a letter to netizens through the People's Daily in March this year.
On July 20th, the Yunnan Economic Semi-Annual Report for 2023 was released. The data showed that the province's tourism industry has fully recovered, with a 40% increase in the number of visitors and a 48.8% increase in total tourism revenue in the first half of the year. "There is a kind of life called Yunnan" has become a brand-new calling card for Yunnan.
From the spring invitation to the bustling summer, both domestic and international tourists have eagerly responded to the invitation. Why?
"The place with wind" is becoming more and more comfortable
In the early morning, sunlight spills into the courtyard of "Canghai Yivu" by National Highway 214 in Dali. Hydrangea flowers are in full bloom, and the fragrance of Burmese sweet osmanthus fills the air. The courtyard is backed by Cangshan Mountain, where clouds and mist gather and disperse, creating an everlasting landscape.
By July 21st, Aunt Yang from Kunming had spent a week with her daughter and granddaughter in the courtyard. Their neighbour was Teacher Wang from Beijing, who brought her twin children for the third summer to escape the heat in Dali. There was also a tourist named Xiao Zhang from Chongqing who booked the courtyard for his honeymoon earlier this year. They were all inspired by the TV drama "The Place Where the Wind Blows.”
In the evening, they met while taking a stroll. Aunt Yang exclaimed in delight, "My granddaughter lost a tooth this morning. We went to the clinic next to the community to have it pulled out for just two yuan. It's convenient and affordable."
Xiao Zhang marveled, "I wanted to have hotpot for lunch, and a delivery guy brought the ingredients to the courtyard. It's really convenient."
Teacher Wang was happy too, saying, "The braised chicken leg and steamed meat patty at the community canteen today were really loved by the kids."
When tourists enjoy the happiness of experiencing the "Yunnan way of life," those busy providing reception services also smile.
"It's hot here, it's hot there, come to Yunnan for a cool summer." On Saturday, July 22nd, the staff of the Publicity and Promotion Department of the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, who had arrived at the office early in the morning, smiled when they saw the tourism reception data. This weekend, the department convened relevant offices to sort out and study the problems raised by summer tourists and how to address them.
"We bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest entrustment to 'safeguard Yunnan's golden tourism brand.' Following the province-wide strategy, we creatively planned 'There is a kind of life called Yunnan' as a theme tourism product and route that integrates the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, innovating the cultural and tourism industry, addressing service shortcomings. We have worked hand in hand with media networks, relevant departments, and practitioners, taking up the responsibilities and missions of tourism promoters and service providers." Cadres and masses at all levels in Yunnan have formed a consensus, making this year's "Cool Summer in Yunnan" full of highlights and fresh ideas.
"Mushroom Convention" Gets More Fun as You Play
The "Mushroom Convention" might be a dish, but in Yunnan, it's like a summer festival. To allow visitors to fully enjoy the festive spirit, Yunnan Province has coordinated various efforts, extended the supply chain of products, improved tourism reception services, and continuously expanded the playground, gameplay, and taste.
More Playgrounds: "This festival, that festival, mushrooms celebrate in Yunnan." The 19th China (Yunnan) Wild Edible Mushroom Trading Fair in Yimen County, the Wild Mushroom Food Culture Festival in Nanhua County, the Matsutake Mushroom Festival in Shangri-La, and other series of activities have created diverse playgrounds for visitors to experience the "Mushroom Convention."
At the same time, the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with the Douyin platform (the Chinese version of TikTok), has focused on the themes of "Yunnan Mushroom Festival" and "Yunnan Celebrates with Mushrooms." They have engaged online media and Douyin influencers to discuss topics such as "Yunnan's exclusive surprises for beating the heat with mushrooms" and "scientific, nutritious, delicious, and safe consumption of mushrooms," increasing the online presence of the "There is a kind of life called Yunnan" brand and driving summer tourism in Yunnan.
More Gameplay: To effectively connect products with the market, Yunnan Province has established a "There is a kind of life called Yunnan - Yunnan Eat 'Jier' (Mushrooms) Season" themed promotion area within the Ctrip App and partnered with Alibaba's Fliggy to create a dedicated area for the "Eat Mushrooms Season." With a collaborative model of "government support + platform backing + business cooperation," they provide tourists with comprehensive one-click travel guides and product booking services, including activity introductions, destination overviews, cultural and tourism product recommendations, gameplay guides, and shared discounts. This approach supports the conversion from attracting visitors to actual consumption.
More Taste: "Mushroom Convention" is about more than just mushrooms. Cultural and tourism departments at all levels, industry associations, and practitioners across the province leverage resource advantages and firmly establish the concept of integrated development, transforming more resources into products. This summer, Yunnan has promoted 10 boutique tourist routes. The Provincial Meteorological Service Center has launched a "Cool Summer in Yunnan" section in their weather updates, providing warm tips for summer tourism cities.
These updates are released every Monday and Thursday on the "Yunnan News" WeChat official account's "Weather Anchor Report," introducing the weather conditions of summer tourism cities and key areas.
(Excerpt: Yunnan Daily; Reporters: Chu Donghua, Zhu Hai)