The symposium for the 10th anniversary of publication of Ten Thousand Li Tea Route “Chibi Declaration” was held in Chibi on Thursday. Guan Qiang, deputy director of National Cultural Heritage Administration made a video talk, and Li Shuyong, secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and director of the Culture and Tourism Department of Hubei Province, and Yang Jun, deputy secretary of Xianning municipal Party committee and mayor, attended the symposium and delivered a speech.

On behalf of Xianning municipal Party committee and municipal government, Yang extended warm welcome to all the distinguished guests. He said that ten years ago, the cultural relics departments of provinces and cities along the Route jointly initiated the Chibi Declaration and embarked on the long journey of joint application for world heritage; in the past 10 years, the application route has been extended to China, Mongolia and Russia, covering 30 node cities in China, and the Ten Thousand Li Tea Route has been officially listed on the Preparatory List of China's World Cultural Heritage. The application has been supported by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, which has become a general consensus among provinces (regions) along the route, attracting wide attention from all walks of life.

Yang pointed out that the application is a conscious move to implement the spirit of strengthening the protection of cultural heritage of General Secretary Xi Jinping. In the past 10 years, the city has actively promoted the protection of the cultural heritage of "Ten Thousand Li Tea Route". The historical features of Yanglou ancient town in Chibi have been effectively restored, re-radiating the charming cultural charm.

Yang said that the application for world heritage is an effective way to endow Xianning with high quality development. The high quality development of Xianning should not only polish the green ecological background, but also polish the local cultural characteristics. With the help of the application for world heritage, Chibi green brick tea’s making technique has been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list and China time-honored brand. Yangloudong village named the famous village of Chinese history and culture. Chibi green brick tea is sold at home and abroad, forming an emerging characteristic industry with annual sales of more than 3 billion yuan and the whole industry chain of 10.2 billion yuan. "Chibi brick tea" becomes the new symbol of Xianning city image; the Ten Thousand Li Tea Route opened up a new channel for Xianning to the whole country and the world.

Yang said that the application is a win-win move of exchange and cooperation among cities along the route. Through extensive and close exchanges, mutual learning, cooperation and interaction, the 30 cities in the nine provinces and autonomous regions have demonstrated to the world the fine traditional Chinese culture's spirit of openness, inclusiveness, equality, mutual learning, benevolence, sincerity and harmony. Xianning city will always bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech and instructions on strengthening the protection and use of cultural heritage, bracing with the concentric, strong and rigorous work and further showing Xianning deeds in the process of the joint application for world heritage.

Xiong Xiangtao, deputy mayor of Xianning city, the relevant persons in charge of the culture and tourism departments (cultural heritage administration) and node cities among provinces (regions) along the route, and the team for the application for world heritage from Institute of History, China Architectural Design Institute, attended the symposium. (By Wu Wenjin/Xianning Daily)