Interwoven communities in China foster cultural unity and development, says national political adviser

In recent years, China's interwoven communities where people from different ethnic groups live together in harmony have played an important role in fostering cultural diversity and ethnic unity, a national political adviser said.

Cui Haiyang, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice-president of Guizhou Minzu University, said as a researcher of ethnic cultures, his frequent visits to ethnic regions in Guizhou province have shown him how interwoven communities not only promote cultural identity and unity but also spark developmental vitality.

He shared the story of how the life of a woman from the Bouyei ethnic group, surnamed Yang, was transformed after being relocated to an interwoven community from a remote mountainous area as part of a poverty alleviation initiative during an interview before the closing meeting of the annual session of the national political advisory body on Wednesday.

"The development of her community has significantly improved her life. Residents who once dreamed of owning a car, now find themselves with vehicles in every household. Yang, leveraging her childhood skill in Bouyei eight-tone singing, has even become a recognized intangible cultural heritage inheritor," Cui, from the Korean ethnic group, said. "The residents often said that they once aimed merely to make ends meet, but now they aspire to tell the vibrant stories of their homeland."

The community is home to Han, Miao, Bouyei, Tujia and other ethnic groups. During busy farming seasons, neighbors support each other, and in daily life, they look out for one another. Children study together in spacious, modern classrooms, embodying the essence of the interwoven community's everyday reality. Furthermore, the community connects different ethnic groups with opportunities for employment, education, and development, integrating these aspects into daily life, he added.

"The simple yet profound sentiment reflects the improved living conditions and the sense of identity and confidence fostered by the evolving interwoven community environment," Cui said. "In such communities, people from various ethnic groups not only live together but also pursue their dreams collectively. And the deep integration not only promotes cultural identity and unity but also creates development opportunities."

Currently, interwoven community building efforts focus on fostering connections, allowing people from different ethnic groups to take root and flourish in everyday life, Cui said. "The vibrant interwoven communities around the country are becoming the most vivid expressions of the shared future of the Chinese nation."