Finding Roots in Charming Suizhou

By Zhang Zhenzhen, Zhang Jie & Xu Xianghong Photos by Liu Shusong

Emperor Yan, formally Yandi or Shennong,is one of the two legendary ancestors of Chinese people, another is Emperor Huang in Shaanxi Province.

Lieshan Mountain sits green and towering over Suizhou while the Jiangshui River rolls and tumbles ahead on this vast land.

In 2009, Emperor Yan-Shennong Festival in Lieshan of Hubei, China was renamed the World Chinese Finding “Roots”Festival in the hometown of Emperor Yan.

Since then, Suizhou has begun to attract the attention of ethnic Chinese people worldwide.

This festival has been held annually over the past decade,attracting millions of ethnic Chinese at home and abroad to the foothills of the Lieshan Mountain in Suizhou to light incense sticks and pay respects to their ancestor, Emperor Yan.Suizhou is truly a common spiritual home for all these visitors.

The festival has increased the flow of people, bringing new capital, tourism, and products,which all together have driven the economic growth of Suizhou toward a more international direction and promoted local cultural tourism.

Through this festival, Suizhou has gradually realized that cultural characteristics give the city its special logo, foregrounding it among the rest cities. The small city of Suizhou has a truly big beauty, for which it has earned the name of “Charming Suizhou.”

Thanks to the festival, the hometown of Emperor Yan has seen its fame spread far and wide.

When We talk about Emperor Yan, We Think of Suizhou

“When we talk about Emperor Yan, we think of Suizhou,” said Yu Dan, a famous cultural scholar who voiced the opinion of many people.

The long history of Chinese civilization originated from the foot of Lieshan Mountain. The annual festival allows ethnic Chinese people worldwide to come to Suizhou and learn more about it.

Jiang Xiaoyan, honorary Vice-Chairman of Kuomintang, said that root searching and ancestor worshipping were the cultural cord of cross-Taiwan-Strait exchanges, which was long lasting and inseverable.

“This trip of ancestor worshiping has fulfilled my wish and deepened my understanding of the spirit of Emperor Yan. After returning to the United States,I will introduce Emperor Yan,as well as the city of Suizhou to my students and friends.” Cheng Yiqiang, tenured professor at the University of North Texas, said on June 10, after attending the Finding Roots Festival this year.

2018戊戌年世界華人炎帝故里尋根節暨拜謁炎帝神農大典現場。 2018 World Chinese Finding “Roots” Festival kicked off on June 9,the 26th day of the fourth lunar month, which is said to witness the birth of Emperor Yan, in Suizhou, Hubei

烈山蒼蒼，姜水湯湯。

2009年，“中國湖北烈山炎帝神農節”升格為“世界華人炎帝故里尋根節”。炎帝故里隨州，開始匯聚全球華人目光。

十年尋根節，數百萬海內外華人華僑追尋隨州烈山腳下，心香一炷，敬奉始祖，回歸精神家園，心手相牽。

十年尋根節，人流帶活資金流、旅游流、產品流，帶動隨州經濟外向度持續提升，文化旅游產業方興未艾。

十年尋根節，更讓隨州認識到，城市發展有了文化特質才不會“千城一面”，“小城大美” “神韻隨州”呼之欲出。

十年尋根節，“炎帝故里”名片越擦越亮，隨州力量激情澎湃。

提起炎帝，我們就想到隨州

“提起炎帝，我們就想到了隨州。”文化學者于丹，道出很多炎黃子孫的心聲。

華夏悠悠文明史，烈山腳下是源頭。一年一度的尋根節，讓隨州與天下炎黃子孫的心緊緊貼在一起。

中國國民黨榮譽副主席蔣孝嚴說，尋根謁祖是兩岸交流的文化臍帶，這根臍帶是永久性的、割舍不斷的。

“此次回家拜祖之旅，圓了我一個心愿，也讓我對炎帝精神有了更深地了解。返回美國后，我會更加主動地向我的學生和朋友們介紹炎帝神農和隨州。”6月10日，參加完今年尋根節后，美國北德克薩斯大學終身正教授程義強說。

今年是編鐘出土40周年，一曲美妙的《編鐘樂舞》表演拉開尋根節開幕式序幕。Performance before the opening ceremony of the 2018 World Chinese Finding “Roots” Festival

Professor Zhang Yiwu from Peking University said that the festival connected Emperor Yan with Suizhou, and gave a full display of the city to the world.

“Since the beginning of 2014,this scenic spot has been receiving more than 600,000 visitors every year,” said Feng Xiaorong, head of the Shennong Scenic Spot. “Over the past decade, the festival has solidified the position of Suizhou as the hometown of Emperor Yan.”

Over the past ten years, the hometown of Emperor Yan has been successively awarded the titles of “Base for Cross-Strait Exchange” and “International Cultural Exchange Base for Overseas Chinese,” and has become the often-visited“hometown” for all Chinese people.

A Place Where You Want to Linger Around

On December 15 of last year, in the 1st season awards ceremony of CCTV’s program, Charming Cities in China, the city of Suizhou ranked among the “Top Ten Charming Cities.”

Jiang Xinghua, standing deputy mayor and member of the municipal party committee, said in his acceptance speech that “As the hometown of Emperor Yan,Suizhou is looking forward to your visit. Here you will unveil a great root-seeking journey...”

Over the past decade, the festival has greatly promoted Suizhou’s confidence in its culture. Emperor Yan and Bianzhong (an ancient Chinese chime consisting of a set of bronze bells) have become the two cultural icons of Suizhou.

Every year, at the Economic and Trade Fair portion of the festival, many contracts for tourism projects get signed.As for this year, the contracts signed include a 3.3 billion yuan investment made by Zhejiang Greentown & Nice Home Construction Engineering Management Co., Ltd. to build a small town named Memory in Spring Breeze, and the 1.5 billion yuan investment made by China Agricultural Union Holdings Co., Ltd to build an Expo City for international agricultural and cultural tourism in northern Hubei (Sui County), and so on.

北京大學教授張頤武表示，尋根節將炎帝神農和隨州有機結合在一起，使隨州在全球華人面前得到了充分展示。

“2014年開始，景區每年游客接待量都在60萬人以上。”炎帝故里景區黨工委書記馮曉蓉介紹說，“十年尋根節，固化了隨州作為炎帝故里的記憶。”

十年來，炎帝故里相繼被授予“海峽兩岸交流基地”“中國華僑國際文化交流基地”，成為炎黃子孫常來常往的“華人老家”。

一個可以讓人停下的地方

去年12月15日，央視《魅力中國城》第一季頒獎盛典中，隨州榮膺全國“十佳魅力城市”。

該市市委常委、常務副市長蔣星華在獲獎感言中首先就說，“隨州是炎帝故里，我們期待您來隨州開啟尋根之旅……”

十年尋根節，極大地提升了隨州的文化自信。炎帝神農與編鐘古樂，已成為隨州兩張世界級文化名片。

每年尋根節經貿洽談會上，都會有旅游項目簽約。今年尋根節經貿洽談會上，浙江綠城佳園建設工程管理有限公司投資33億元建設桃李春風時光記憶小鎮，中農聯控股有限公司投資15億元建設中國供銷·鄂北（隨縣）國際農業文旅博覽城，等等。

“沒有尋根節，就沒有大洪山如今翻天覆地的變化。”大洪山風景名勝區管委會主任黃荊說。

2009年尋根節期間，鄂旅投與大洪山簽訂戰略合作協議，從此拉開大洪山景區連續十年的大建設。目前，鄂旅投投入大洪山的資金超過15億元，正在將大洪山打造成“佛教名山、養生天堂”。

今年，鄂旅投計劃再投15億元，在大洪山腳下建慈恩小鎮，掀起鄂旅投在大洪山二次創業的新高潮。

漢、藏、維、蒙、回、壯等五十六個民族代表恭讀《頌炎帝文》。Representatives from China’s 56 ethnic groups reading Ode to Emperor Yan

高起點規劃、大手筆建設、規范化管理，標志性的文化旅游項目，激活隨州文化旅游產業“一池春水”。

千年銀杏谷，那片金黃令人神往；西游記公園，西游文化讓人流連……隨州4A級景區已達6家，星級酒店21家。

隨州獨特的文化旅游資源，吸引了知名主持人敬一丹。她說，隨州是一個可以讓人停下來的地方。

2009年，隨州旅游人數490余萬人次，旅游收入26億元。2017年，全市接待游客2250萬人次，實現旅游收入140.9億元，實現跨越式增長。

小城“玩轉”全球市場

經貿洽談會，是每年尋根節系列活動中的“保留節目”。

2009年尋根節，200多名海內外企業家前來簽約55個投資項目，投資總額46億元；2010年簽約項目53個，投資總額逾90億元……到2018年，投資總額已達163.2億元。

“新能源汽車，將是恒天新楚風轉型升級的重點，也是戰略發展的重要方向。”中國恒天集團董事長、黨委書記張杰說，2017年恒天新楚風新能源車銷量達1.3萬輛，位居全國第二。

恒天新楚風，是2010年由中國恒天集團對原湖北省專用汽車制造廠戰略重組而來，如今已引領隨州專汽綠色化轉型。

乘著尋根節的東風，青島啤酒、東風公司、中航工業、三江航天、廣西玉柴、中國重汽、湖北三環、廈工集團等一大批央企、省屬企業和大型民營企業，紛紛搶灘隨州。

“These drastic changes in Dahong Mountain were all brought about by the festival,”said Huang Jing, director of the Management Committee in Dahong Mountain Scenic Area.

During the festival in 2009, the Eco-cultural Tourism Investment Company (ECOTIC) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Dahong Mountain Scenic Area, which heralded ten consecutive years of construction around the Dahong Mountain Scenic Spot. At present, ECOTIC had invested more than 1.5 billion yuan into Dahong Mountain,aiming to build the site into a“famous Buddhist mountain and a paradise for health care.”

This year, ECOTIC had been planning to invest a further 1.5 billion yuan to build a small town at the foot of Dahong Mountain,setting off a new upsurge of entrepreneurship in the area.

Planning from a high starting point, large-scale construction,standardized management, and iconic cultural tourism projects have boosted cultural tourism in Suizhou.

The golden scenery in the Ginkgo Valley over thousands of years, the cultural attraction of the Theme Park based on the novel Journey to the West...So many fascinating places of interests are just part of Suizhou’s six 4A-level scenic areas, which are equipped with 21 star hotels.

The unique resources for cultural tourism in Suizhou also attracted Jing Yidan, the famous CCTV host. She said that Suizhou was a place where people would want to linger around and enjoy.

In 2009, more than 4.9 million tourists came to Suizhou and brought in tourism revenue of 2.6 billion yuan. In 2017, the city received 22.5 million tourists with tourism revenue of 14.09 billion yuan, which was a big leap forward.

A Small Town yet Big Player in the Global Market

The Economic and Trade Fair is a “reserved program” for the Finding “Roots” Festival every year.

隨州新貌New look of Suizhou City

這些重量級企業攜帶著先進的技術、管理經驗和資本，與隨州本土民營企業“混合”，誕生出39家混合所有制企業。

引進來，也走出去。

“隨州香菇主要出口東南亞等華人市場。尋根節期間，廣大華人華僑來隨州品嘗香菇、愛上香菇味道。”中國食用菌協會副會長、裕國菇業公司董事長雷于國說，隨州香菇出口十年來保持在全國同行業前列，農產品出口連續多年保持全省第一。

尋根節，讓隨州企業家的眼界更為開闊，經濟外向活躍度持續攀升。多年從事香菇出口的企業家舒大忠，以“一葉之輕”舞起了種茶、制茶、賣茶、茶旅游、茶食品等一條龍的大產業，在他的帶動下，隨州茶葉出口多年位居全省第一。

讓城市有故事可說

今年5月，尋根節前夕，位于城北的花溪河城市濕地公園一期建成。至此，隨州中心城區東南西北中，均有了大型公園。

十年來，隨州以尋根節為節點，倒逼重點項目建設、環境綜合整治，推動城市建設提速、提質，對外樹立良好城市形象。

小城隨州，建市晚，基礎薄。該市市委、市政府提出，彰顯文化、山水個性，塑造自身特質，告別“千城一面”，打造“神韻隨州”。

“神”，在鑄文化之魂；“韻”，在繪山水之美。

在高樓林立中，在道路縱橫間，隨州處處透出文化氣息，以文塑城，以城弘文。炎帝、編鐘、鹿鶴、楊堅、季梁等文化因子，嵌入其中，相得益彰。

該市住建委主任熊忠海說：“文化弘揚與城市建設相融合，打造經典傳世之作，讓城市有故事可說。”

尋根節，助推隨州城市大發展，城南、城東兩座新城快速崛起，一大批城市功能重點項目建成。隨州文化公園、濱湖體育運動場、政務服務中心等城市新地標，相繼落成；萬達、紅星、碧桂園等一批現代商貿巨頭，成為城市的新中心。

國家園林城市、國家森林城市、省級環保模范城市等榮譽，接踵而至。2013年，中國社科院發布的《中國城市競爭力報告》，隨州城市生態競爭力高居全國第四。

小城大美，神韻隨州，正煥發出山水生態宜居城市的迷人風采；一河碧水，兩岸新城，正涌動著轉型升級高質量發展的澎湃動力。

2018 湖北·隨州炎帝故里經貿洽談會現場2018 Hubei Suizhou Yandi’s Hometown Economic and Trade Fair

During the festival in 2009,more than 200 domestic and foreign entrepreneurs signed up for 55 investment projects with a total investment of 4.6 billion yuan; in 2010, there were 53 signed projects with a total investment of over 9 billion yuan.By 2018, the total investment has reached 16.32 billion yuan.

“New energy automobiles will be the focus of the transformation and upgrading of Chu Feng’s vehicles. It is also an important strategic direction.” Zhang Jie,Chairman and Party Secretary of the China Hi-Tech Group Corporation (CHTC), said that in 2017, the sales of Chu Feng’s new energy vehicles had reached 13,000, ranking second nationwide.

C h i n a H i-T e c h G r o u p Corporation carried on strategic reconstruction of the former Hubei Special Purpose Vehicle Manufacturing Plant and formed CHTC Hubei Chu Feng Auto Limited (Chu Feng for short)in 2010, which is now leading the transformation of a green industry of special vehicles in Suizhou.

A large number of stateowned enterprises, provincial enterprises, and large-scale private enterprises also joined the group in order to take advantage of the festive occasion, among which were Tsingtao Brewery,Dongfeng Motor Corporation,Aviation Industry Corporation of China, China Space Sanjiang Group, Guang xi Yu chai Machinery Group, Sinotruk,Hubei Tri-Ring Group, and Xiamen XGMA Group, and so on.

These established companies brought with them advanced technology, management experience, and capital input.They merged and integrated with local private enterprises in Suizhou, on the foundation of which 39 mixed-ownership companies were founded.

While bringing in new investments, Suizhou has also been exploring to exhibit itself to the outside world.

“Suizhou shiitake mushrooms are mainly exported to Southeast Asian markets and other Chinese markets. During the festival,many Chinese people from overseas came to Suizhou and fell in love with the mushrooms here after they had a taste of it.” said Yu Yuguo, vice president of China Edible Fungi Association and chairman of Yuguo Mushroom Company. Exports of shiitake mushrooms in Suizhou have been leading the industry nationwide for ten years, while agricultural product exports have also ranked first in the province for many years.

The festival has widened the vision of local entrepreneurs in Suizhou, where export-oriented economic activities continue to grow. Shu Dazhong, an entrepreneur who had been in the shiitake mushroom export industry for many years, has now also driven the whole tea industry forward with his own strength,from tea planting and processing,to tea sales, tea tourism, and tea-related foods. Under his motivation, tea exports in Suizhou now rank first in the province.

A City with Tales

In May of this year, before this festival was held, the first phase of the Huaxi River Urban Wetland Park in the north of the city was completed. Now, there are large parks in the south, east, north,west, as well as downtown area in Suizhou.

Relying on the festival over the past ten years, Suizhou has promoted the construction of key projects, launched comprehensive environmental management,improved the speed and quality of city construction, and established a good city image for the world.

Suizhou, which became a city not long ago, is a small one with weak foundation. Therefore,the municipal party committee and the municipal government proposed to highlight its cultural characteristics and scenic beauty,shape its own personality, say goodbye to the old, average image,and create a “Charming Suizhou.”

Suizhou’s charm lies in its rich culture and beautiful landscapes—its culture can be felt in the towering buildings and criss-crossed streets. Cultural factors including Emperor Yan,ancient Chinese chimes, Luhe(an ancient bronze crane with deer horns), Yang Jian (541-604,founder and first emperor of the Sui Dynasty), and Ji Liang (a famous thinker and politician in history) are embedded in the city and have shaped the city. On the other hand, the city has actively promoted and spread the culture.Together, they have had success and made tremendous progress.

Xiong Zhonghai, director of the Housing and Construction Commission of Suizhou, said:“The integration of cultural development and urban construction will create classics and stories for the city to tell.”

The festival boosted the development of Suizhou city.Under its influence, two new cities have emerged in the south and east of the city and a large number of key projects featuring urban function have been completed.New landmarks emerged one after another, including Suizhou Cultural Park, Lakeside Sports Field, and Government Affairs Service Center; and modern commerce giants like Wanda,Redstar, and Country Garden have become new centers of the city.

Honors awarded to the city have come in one after another,such as the National Garden City,National Forest City, Provincial Environmental Protection Model City, and so on. In the “Report on City Competitiveness in China”published in 2013 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,Suizhou ranked the fourth in the country in terms of urban ecological competitiveness.

Charming Suizhou, a small city with beautiful sceneries, is showing the world its appeal as a liveable city with a gorgeous l and scape and favor able ecosystem. Divided into two by a river of clear water, Suizhou City is greeting a better future brought about by quality development and driven by transformation and upgrading. (Translation: Lu Qiongyao)

恒天新楚風新能源車生產現場CHTC workers fising a new energy car