Yunnan Women's Federation Tasked with Boosting Integrated Development of Agriculture, Culture, Tourism
Yunnan Province, in Southwest China, established the first women's federation in the province tasked especially with boosting the integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism. The women's federation, "Ta Chuang Xiang Yun" (literally meaning "she creates taste of countryside"), was established in Xishan District, Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, in April.
The federation plans to harness local women's strength, especially in sharing information and resources among the various industries related to agriculture, culture and tourism. Also, the federation will help build a platform to enhance women's networking and cooperation in agriculture, culture and tourism.
The federation will focus on the cultivation of women talents, especially those who excel in promoting the charm of their respective hometowns, in the countryside, and/or who grasp particular craftsmanship techniques, such as embroidering. Through organizing events, such as innovation-and-entrepreneurship-themed competitions and policy-introduction meetings, the federation hopes to stimulate vitality in agriculture, culture and tourism. By utilizing local and ethnic cultures and tourist resources, creative products and rural-accommodation programs will be launched to advance the diverse development of relevant industries.
Hubei Women's Federation Enhances Industrial-Chain Development in Agriculture, Culture, Tourism
A women's federation has been established, in Central China's Hubei Province, for the specific purpose of enhancing development of the industrial chain in agriculture, culture and tourism. The federation, established in April, became the first of its kind in Hubei. Representatives of 40-plus enterprises in Xiaochang, a county in Hubei's Xiaogan City, attended the women's congress held in Xiaochang in April, during which the federation was established.
Xiaochang is known for its industrial chain, which covers the agricultural production and marketing of peaches, tea and rice. The women's federation will concentrate on improving the quality of the agricultural industry, deepening the influence of the cultural industry, and boosting the prosperity of tourism throughout the county. Through the federation's coordination with industrial-chain enterprises, and other segments of society, the local women will play their roles in the region's agricultural production, cultural inheritance and rural-tourism development. The women's craftsmanship, and other skills, will help them earn greater incomes.
Chongqing Women Help Create New Pattern of Economic Development
Chongqing Women's Federation, in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, has launched several programs, in recent years, to enhance women's participation in all-around rural revitalization. For example, training sessions are now being organized to provide women with guidance on e-commerce-related industrial development; women talents are being cultivated; and, brands and programs, initiated by local women, are being improved. Ten cultivation pilot sites have been upgraded to assist local women in enhancing their e-commerce skills. Also, 100 women have been provided with digital-skills training, and 1,000 women have been trained to be anchors, who use livestreaming and other approaches to develop e-commerce businesses.
The federation has supported 50 enterprises, led by women, in selling their agricultural products — including coffee and local vegetables — in international markets. By utilizing an online platform, "Women and Chongqing," the federation has promoted tourist attractions to visitors interested in exploring Chongqing's beautiful countryside. The platform informs tourists about directions, accommodations, places to eat and details about attractions.
The federation emphasizes women's roles in creating a new pattern of economic development in rural areas. By making use of a digital market, the federation has promoted more than 3,800 types of agricultural products, which are sold to other provinces and regions through the online platform. Women's federations, at all levels in Chongqing, have encouraged women anchors to visit villages across the municipality. They can introduce their favorite agricultural products and/or sightseeing routes to people from other places, to attract tourists to Chongqing and to help boost the municipality's rural economic development.
Henan Women Make Homestays a Calling Card for Anyang
Anyang Women's Federation, in Central China's Henan Province, has united women managers in making homestays a calling card, which has been attracting tourists to villages in Anyang, a city in northern Henan Province.
Anyang has numerous attractions, including Taihang Mountains and the Red Flag Canal. Often referred to as "the Great Wall of Water," Red Flag Canal is a water project built by the people of Linzhou (administered by Anyang) during the 1960s and 1970s. The canal was built on the side of cliffs of the Taihang Mountains to divert water from Zhanghe River to Linzhou.
Under the name "Red Canal Homestay," homestay hostesses in Anyang have formed a union. Women managers of the homestays learn from others' good practices, and they organize meetings and contests to improve their management skills.
Anyang Women's Federation has organized training sessions, during which homestay hostesses have learned first-aid skills and other languages so they can provide better services to international tourists. The hostesses have also learned practical skills, such as making tea, coffee, desserts and floral arrangement.
The federation helps hostesses (under Red Canal Homestay) communicate with experienced homestay managers from tourism hot spots. By combining the development of homestays with intangible cultural heritage, folk customs and tasty local food, the women are able to continue upgrading the services provided at their facilities.
Anhui Women Light Up Economy in Beautiful Countryside
Hefei Women's Federation, in East China's Anhui Province, has taken steps to empower women managers of homestays in Hefei, capital of Anhui. By inviting experts to give lectures, the women have been able to share helpful resources, which have enabled them to light up the economy by developing tourism in the beautiful countryside.
In addition to supporting the homestay managers, Hefei Women's Federation has provided e-commerce training to women. Training — in livestreaming and other e-commerce skills — has also been provided to women who have started businesses, women who have graduated from college, and women who have been seeking employment.
To attract more families to rural areas under Hefei, the federation has designed a sightseeing route, specifically for children and their families. They can follow the route and participate in farm work, learn about intangible cultural heritage, and visit a national-level forest park and other historic sites. The innovative development of the route is the result of the combination of tourism with ecological protection, cultural- and folk-knowledge-related studies, and science popularization among children and families.
(Women of China English Monthly August 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
