Traditional rural fairs in Beijing's Tongzhou District are blending buzzing market with technology, culture, and tourism, revitalizing rural lifestyles and stimulating local economy.
As one of the busiest markets in capital city's sub-center, the Taihu Market in Tongzhou serves as a living window into the traditional lifestyle and local charm of old Beijing.
This year, the market has undergone a comprehensive upgrade. It features various folk performances and acrobatic shows, drawing cheers from the audience. Futuristic mechanical lion-dogs and intelligent robots have also joined traditional dance performances, infusing the market with a touch of technology.
Beyond the steady stream of visitors on-site, the Taihu Market has gained significant popularity online.
A group of university students hosted livestreams to give netizens a virtual tour of the market. Through these livestreams, they assisted local farmers by promoting regional agricultural products and traditional Beijing snacks.
"The widespread reach of the internet allows many local specialty products, including agricultural goods and by-products, to become known to more people. This is the result of integrating traditional fairs with modern technology," said Liu Haoyang, a junior student at Beijing Wuzi University.
To attract more visitors, the market has also upgraded its supporting services to further enrich the experience.
"We have made comprehensive improvements in environmental hygiene, food safety, and facilities for visitor. We hope to use the market as a hub to connect surrounding cultural and tourism resources, so that when people come for the market, they can also explore nearby homestays, picking gardens, and spend more time in Taihu," said Yin Jing, operations manager of the Taihu Market.
In Tongzhou -- a district built and prospered at the northern end of the well-known Grand Canal, which stretches over 1,794 kilometers southward to Hangzhou -- a series of traditional rural fairs is driving a major transformation.
Spearheaded by eight major canal-themed markets in the townships of Taihu, Yongledian, and Xiji, these fairs are evolving into integrated platforms for culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and agriculture, becoming a new engine that preserves nostalgic memories, promotes canal culture, and boosts the rural economy.
Beijing revitalizes traditional rural fairs with innovative programs to boost consumption
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has lauded China's inclusiveness, diversity and wisdom in its five-year plan and high-level opening-up process.
In an exclusive interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Diab said China has repeatedly demonstrated its dedication to these values through its actions and deliberate policy planning.
"I think the path that China is leading, and its self-evident Five-Year Plans, [both] over the past 14th Five-Year Plan and the current 15th Five-Year Plan, stress inclusiveness of cultural diversity, cultural diplomacy, openness to other societies, countries -- that echoes very well with people like me that [China] wants the world to benefit, not just a single country," said Diab.
"Lebanon is a very small country. We've been doing e-commerce, relatively small, compared to China, of course. I think it's great that China wants to open up to the world, and the success of China is actually having the world markets. You can have the greatest idea, but [what's the point] if you can't sell? So I'm very much for cooperation and collaboration between China and the rest of the world, and of course, Lebanon, my country. But I think it's a very unique perspective that the Chinese leadership, which I have much respect for, and of course, the Chinese people, that made it happen. Because, as I always say, they are hard-working people, and very committed people, very resilient people," he said.
The former prime minister also highlighted that the diversity of Chinese society and policies has solidified the foundation for its high-level opening-up process while ensuring that modernization can be achieved through multifaceted efforts.
"This is exactly what I was trying to say that China encourages diversity. And when I say diversity, not with respect to identity, with respect to modernization, success, pathways, industrialization. They are open to other ideas, to other civilizations, to other points of views. I mean, the world is not black and white. It's gray. Everybody has something to offer, one way or the other. So, having multiple paths for modernization, it's probably the right way. I mean, we're not photocopies of each other across the globe. What China did is great for China, and what China is recommending for other countries to do, is also great for these countries. But I'm saying, no country has full wisdom. It's the collective wisdom of everybody that will make a difference at the global level. That's what impressive about China," Diab said.
Former Lebanese PM lauds China's openness to all societies
