Yunnan is located in Southwest China and is home to the nation’s greatest geographical and cultural diversity. There are 25 officially recognized ethnic minorities comprising one-third of the province’s total population, living in two-thirds of Yunnan’s territory. 25 counties along over 4000 km borderlines respectively border with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. 16 cross-border ethnic minorities reside on both sides of the border. These cross- border ethnic groups, which have the same origin in history and still maintain close everyday contacts, that retain and inherit the abundant cultural heritage of the region.

This phenomenon is not unique in Yunnan, China. Many border communities worldwide are divided into different countries despite their shared history, culture, traditions and heritage. However, the way of thinking and living are endogenous. Although border communities hold different passports, with frequent and various mobilities in everyday life, the organization of the local society, even cross-border, is still based on trust-oriented social network and co-operation, rather than dominant marketized logic and competition in most modern societies (or urban areas), which induces a variety of societal problems.

Therefore, this event will invite speakers to give their insights on the following questions:

1. What conditions are needed to create synergies from socio-cultural, political, economic perspectives and multidimensional flows in borderlands?

2. How can cultural heritage routes facilitate the construction and maintenance of ethnic identity along borders, whilst improving the well-being of locals? In this sense, what criteria should be selected?

3. How to facilitate the SDGs and local sustainable development through ethnic & border tourism?

Opening and introduction of the OWH initiative:
Min (Lucy) Zhang & Zhu Tao (in English and Chinese)

KEYNOTES

Prof. Xie Hong-zhong (in Chinese)Evaluation Criteria of Cultural Tourism Routes

Mrs. Lian Fang (in Chinese)Diversity of Yunnan World Heritage

PANEL

Mr. Beesavang Porsengvong (in English)
Cultural Tourism Routes Based on Shared Heritage between Laos and China under OBOR Strategy

Prof. Wang Zhi-hui (in English)
Exploration of Sustainable Development Path in Mountainous Rural Areas in Yunnan Province

Dr. Han Jian-lei (in Chinese)
Analysis of the Structural Characteristics of Regional Tourism Network and Its Influence Mechanism from the Perspective of Multidimensional Flow–Taking Yunnan Province as an Example

Dr. Min (Lucy) Zhang (in English)
Cultural Boundaries and Ethnic Representation at Borders

Dr. Zhu Tao (in English)
Ethnic Dressing and Heritage Preservation at Borders

Dr. Xian-hai (Kenny) Ban (in Chinese)
The Evolution Path of Lijiang Inns in Yunnan under the Influence of Ancient Tea-Horse Trail

Discussion (in Chinese and English)

Conclusions by Prof. Xie Hong-zhong (in Chinese)

SPEAKERS

Prof. Xie Hong-zhong, PhD in Geography. Depudy dean of School of tourism and hotel management at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Deputy director of Yunnan Tourism Management Teaching Steering Committee, Member of Academic Committee of Yunnan Provincial Department of culture and tourism, Member of Expert Committee of Yunnan “14th Five Year Plan”, Member of Yunnan Provincial Tourism think tank consortium. Chief expert at Yunnan Tourism chamber of Commerce, Yunnan service trade association and Yunnan Tourism Marketing Association. He has published more than 50 academic articles and more than 10 books.

Lian Fang, founding president of Yunnan Natural and Cultural Conservation Council (YNC), current executive vice president and Secretary General of YNC; She has initiated the establishment of the World Heritage Conservation Union (Yunnan) and served as deputy director general. Her works include World Heritage Three Parallel Rivers, Shilin World Heritage Application, Hani Terrace Heritage Declaration Record, etc. As a curator, she introduced Dunhuang mural exhibition to Yunnan for the first time in 2019 after organizing the “Day of Natural & Cultural Heritage in China” in 2017.

Prof. Wang Zhi-hui. PhD in Public Administration, University of Birmingham, UK. She is currently lecturing in the school of tourism and hospitality, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Yunnan Province, China. Her research interests focus on rural community governance, and higher education management.

Beesavang Porsengvong, Department of Information, Culture and Tourism in Oudomxay Province Northern Laos. Nine years work experiences with tourism industry and government. Experiences of Laos-China exchanges: two times exchange about Chinese language and culture in Jinghong Xishuangbanna and Kunming, Yunnan.

Min (Lucy) Zhang, PhD in Heritage Tourism and Sustainability, University of Rovira i Virgili, Spain & University of Surrey, UK. Her research interests include community-based tourism, cultural heritage and socio-cultural sustainability in tourism destinations. She has consulted for UNDP on various projects on ethnic tourism and poverty alleviation in China.

Han Jian-lei, PhD candidate, master supervisor, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Yunnan, China. Head of research group “Border Tourism Studies”. He has presided over 4 projects including National Social Science Foundation Youth Program and published more than 10 academic articles in journals such as Human Geography.

Xian-hai (Kenny) Ban, PhD candidate at Siam University, Thailand. His research interest focuses on hotel management. He currently serves as a lecturer at the School of tourism and hotel management, Yunnan University of Finance and Economic.