Representatives of the Wenshan autonomous prefecture, Honghe autonomous prefecture, Zhaotong city, Dali autonomous prefecture, attended the opening of the Lijiang Miao ethnic culture society in Lijiang, in southwest China's Yunnan province on Sept 25.

The society is expected to serve as an effective communication platform, and to contribute to the protection and development of Miao ethnic culture.

More than 80 members of the new society also attended the opening, and Wang Guanghong, the newly-elected chairman, said that "the society is bound to play an active role in further exploring, researching, and disseminating Miao ethnic culture, which will in turn improve the confidence of the Miao ethnic group regarding their own culture", and he also said that the society would help increase awareness of the culture so as to attract tourists.

A total of more than 7,000 Miao people live in Lijiang city, and their ethnic culture is vanishing due to poverty and other social issues.

Edited by Niva Whyman and Le Qin