A media delegation from ASEAN members visited Yangshuo County in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Saturday to learn how the region is effectively protecting the local environment while developing its cultural and tourism industries and promoting rural revitalization.
The ASEAN Media Partners "China Up Close" Guangxi Tour is an important activity of the 2024 ASEAN Media Partners Cooperation Week, which started on Friday. It involves journalists from mainstream media outlets of seven ASEAN countries teaming up with China Media Group and local media reporters to conduct in-depth reporting on Guangxi's high-quality development and tell stories of China's modernization to the world.
As part of their visit, the media workers embarked on a cruise tour of the Lijiang River, which serves as a vital ecological and economic resource for the region. Its stunning karst landscape has made it a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of natural beauty in China, attracting tourists and researchers alike.
"The experience of China using technology for water quality management is impressive. From my observation, the Lijiang River's water is crystal clear, a standard that Thai rivers may not reach. I've learned that China employs cameras and drones to monitor the river and ensure water quality. I believe the Thai government and organizations should strengthen cooperation with China to learn from its innovative practices in environmental protection," said Theechayudh Maetharzithiwaht, an editor at Thailand's TV5.
Aside from cruise tours, the media delegation also enjoyed aerial views of the landscape. In Yangshuo, local authorities are actively exploring low-altitude tourism, offering helicopter, hot air balloon, and paragliding experiences that leverage the area's rich tourism resources.
"Yangshuo is renowned for its beautiful natural scenery. In the past, we could only appreciate the views from the ground. Now, projects like paragliding and hot air ballooning allow tourists to enjoy the beauty of Yangshuo from various heights in the sky. This new perspective not only enriches the travel experience but also opens up a new revenue stream for local residents," said Jelberter Anak Robert, a reporter from Radio Televisyen Malaysia.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited kumquat orchards to experience fruit picking and learn about the development of the kumquat industry in Yangshuo. They also explored local guesthouses to understand how the homestay economy is becoming a new driving force for tourism development in the area.
ASEAN media delegation visits China's Guangxi to explore high-quality ecotourism development
The continuing conflict between Israel and Lebanon has not only displaced people from their homes, but also pushed farmers off the land they depend on in the south of the country, as an estimated 80 percent have stopped working due to damaged fields, unsafe roads, and fears of contamination.
Despite Israel and Lebanon agreeing last Thursday to a three-week extension of an original 10-day ceasefire deal which began between in mid-April, deadly Israeli strikes have continued to hit southern parts of Lebanon, resulting in numerous deaths and widespread damage.
Controversy has also arisen over the Israeli military's efforts to extend the territories it occupies in southern Lebanon as part of what it terms as a "security buffer zone" along the border.
Lebanese residents have been warned against returning to their homes within this area, with Israel announcing that anyone who approaches this so-called "Yellow Line" will be considered a threat.
However, in spite of these difficulties, some farmers in the southern city of Tyre are trying to keep their connection to the soil alive.
A group of women have been bravely planting on borrowed land, because their own is now too dangerous to reach. Here, there are growing herbs such as basil, sage, rosemary, mint and thyme in neat rows.
For displaced local farmer Zainab, who hails from the border town of Naqoura, this field is not home, but it is where she has found a way to keep going amid times of crisis.
"I was displaced from my own land. I'm a farmer. I used to farm my land in Naqoura, so I started farming here, too. As you know, most of us from the south are farmers. Agriculture is the main thing we do," she said.
Across southern Lebanon, roughly 80 percent of local farmers have stopped working either because they are unable to reach their land or they fear it is no longer safe.
More than 17,000 farmers have been affected, with their fields damaged by shelling, fires, bulldozing, and contamination.
Officials have condemned the Israeli attacks on the region which have put the livelihood of ordinary people at risk and have cost some innocent civilian their lives.
"Under the recent acts of aggression, there was difficulty for the farmers to get to their lands. Most of the times they would even be targeted. I know some farms owners who hired workers to harvest the crops -- as a result, unfortunately, some of them were killed," said Alwan Charafeddine, the Deputy Mayor of Tyre City.
Agriculture is a key part of the Lebanese economy, but also the backbone of daily life in the south of the country. The region produces staples like olives, citrus, tobacco and vegetables, and when farmers are forced off their land, the consequences are felt across the country.
"I left the land. I left the crops I had planted, which, according to the season, were cabbage, cauliflower, fava beans and peas. More than leaving the land, I left my whole life behind, and now I'm here," said Zainab.
"After the targeting of the bridge that connected Tyre with Sidon, it became hard to get many of the supplies we used to get through there, which has caused the prices of agricultural products to rise," said the deputy mayor.
But amid these hard times, a glimmer of hope remains. On land belonging to local authorities, the Seeds of Tyre project is giving displaced women work, a source of income, and an outlet which allows them to pass on their skills.
Using donated seeds of aromatic herbs, they are producing basil and rose water and orange blossom, generating a small economy which is taking root in the middle of a much larger loss.
For Zainab, working the soil here offers some stability at a time of conflict, with this temporary field helping farmers tick over as they wait for safe access to their own land.
Farmers turn to temporary fields as swathes of land destroyed in southern Lebanon
