The Yunnan publicity department and the Yunnan Federation of Social Science Circles jointly held consulting activities in Zhaotong’s 11 counties and districts from June 23 to 28. A total of 20 social science experts offered their advice to help the city redress problems in its development.

Experts were divided into three teams. The first team went to Zhenxiong, Weixin, Yiliang and Daguan counties to study how to realize leapfrog development in Zhaotong. The second team visited Zhaoyang district and the counties of Ludian and Qiaojia to study new urbanization construction in Zhaotong. The third team studied Yongshan, Suijiang, Shuifu and Yanjin counties regarding power station reservoir area follow-up utilization and cultural tourism development.

Fan Jianhua, president of the Yunnan Federation of Social Science Circles, pointed out that 16 of the 20 experts were from institutes of higher learning or scientific research facilities. The other four were from practical work departments. Fifteen of them engage in social science studies and the other five in natural sciences. They will offer their opinions on local economic and social development, the influence of the Silk Road on local culture, and local industry transformation and upgrade, according to Fan.

“Zhaotong enjoys profound culture, a superior location, abundant resources and opportunities, and great development prospects, but its development has lagged behind,” said Zhang Jihua, mayor of Zhaotong. Zhao hoped that the consulting activities can offer guidance for Zhaotong’s development.

The consulting activities went to the grassroots areas and arranged for experts to conduct wide-range, multi-angle and in-depth studies on practical problems in Yunnan’s economic and social development. It has offered theoretical and intellectual support to local economic and social leapfrog development.

A total of nine large-scale research activities were conducted in Honghe, Lincang, Chuxiong, Dali, Lijiang, Dehong, Diqing, Kunming and Qujing since the expert consultation activities began in 2003. Many other grassroots activities were also held in Yunlong and Cangyuan, involving 444 experts and more than 100 counties and districts. Experts have studied more than 350 subjects, offered more than 1,900 pieces of advice, and published consultation and study reports with more than 3 million words.

Zhaotong sits in the northeast of Yunnan and downstream of the Jinsha River. It’s adjacent to Guizhou and Sichuan and served as an important passage for Central Plain Culture to enter Yunnan. The place is also one of three origins of local culture and is known as an important hub in China’s Silk Road.

Edited by Liu Yufen and Michael Thai