Longnan Hosts 32nd World Hakka Conference

Event Highlights Global Cultural Exchange and Economic Innovation in Jiangxi's Forward-Looking City

LONGNAN, China, Nov. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is news from Longnan Rong Media Center:

From November 7th to 9th, Longnan, a city in Jiangxi Province, hosted the prestigious 32nd World Hakka Conference. This marks a notable first in its over 50-year history: it's the first time the event has taken place in one of China's inland cities. Themed "Hakka Voices from Five Continents, Global Family Sentiments", the conference is a significant gathering in the Hakka community. The event attracted 2,500 guests, including delegates from over 200 organizations associated with the Hakka diaspora and numerous successful Hakka entrepreneurs, all converging in Longnan to partake in this culturally rich and globally significant event.

Longnan, known as the "South Gate of Jiangxi," covers an area of 1,646 square kilometers and boasts a population of some 340,000. This dynamic city transitioned from a county to a city in 2020 and has since become a hub of cultural and historical significance. As host to the World Hakka Conference, the lineup of events also includes a chairpersons' welcome ceremony, an investment promotion conference, the opening ceremony, and the inaugural Hakka folk culture and arts festival. These gatherings featured a rich tapestry of cultural and artistic displays and performances, celebrating Hakka and Yangming cultures, alongside a glimpse into local agriculture and industry.  Visitors had the opportunity to immerse themselves in unique experiences such as crafting Hakka handicrafts, indulging in gourmet food preparation, and even navel orange picking. Longnan, known for the many Hakka enclosed houses that dot the region, and Ganzhou, often referred to as the "Cradle of Hakka Culture", collectively showcased their rich heritage. These events not only celebrated the unique Hakka culture within Longnan but also played a pivotal role in promoting global cultural exchanges.  

Hosting a grand event can transform a city and drive regional development. Leveraging the organization of the World Hakka Conference, Longnan has embarked on a comprehensive urban enhancement initiative. This initiative aligns with national standards for urban excellence, focusing on cultural refinement, ecological and green city planning, and public health improvements. It aims to elevate the city's overall stature, allowing residents to collectively benefit from the event's success. Longnan is blending the preservation and transmission of Hakka culture with all-encompassing tourism initiatives. This includes the 'Revival of Old Houses' reform, which breathes new life into historical buildings. The city is actively promoting its Hakka intangible cultural heritage, showcasing it at the World Hakka Conference, bringing it closer to people worldwide, and positioning it on the global stage.

Longnan's growth trajectory is a testament to its commitment to reform and openness. In recent years, the city has actively championed the development of Jiangxi's inland open economic experimental zone and become intricately integrated with the dynamic Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Adopting the mindset of matching the Greater Bay Area's achievements, Longnan has launched the "Long Easy Office" brand, aimed at streamlining business processes and spurring the development of an industrial cooperation zone along the Jiangxi-Guangdong border.

In addressing land constraints, Longnan has embarked on an innovative land-use strategy, aimed at optimizing land utilization and fostering new development opportunities. Concurrently, the city has rolled out an industrial growth model, dubbed the "2+N" initiative, focusing on diversifying its economic base while prioritizing the development of key sectors. This strategy has catalyzed substantial growth in the electronic information and new materials industries, now comprising over 90% of the city's industrial clusters.

A noteworthy aspect of Longnan's economic evolution is its distinction as the only county-level area in Jiangxi Province to fully operationalize a comprehensive suite of cross-border e-commerce services classified under all four of China Customs' supervision method codes: "1210", "9610", "9710", and "9810". This unique capability to facilitate transactions under all four codes demonstrates Longnan's robust capacity to manage a broad spectrum of cross-border e-commerce activities. These range from B2B and B2C models to complex operations involving overseas warehouses and bonded e-commerce. Longnan's ability to handle such a variety of e-commerce frameworks reflects its progressive stance on economic globalization and its commitment to embracing digital commerce.

This achievement in e-commerce, combined with its strategic industrial growth, has earned Longnan the Jiangxi Provincial Comprehensive Award for Open Economy for thirteen consecutive years, highlighting its status as a leading example of economic openness and innovation within the province.