At the invitation of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), more than 50 diplomats in China, their spouses, and representatives from 31 countries and nine offices of international organizations in China, attended the Women Diplomats' Closer Look at Heilongjiang, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, from September 21-24.
The event, with the theme of women's participation in agricultural modernization, invited guests to engage in field trips and cultural-experience activities in Jiamusi and Harbin, two cities in Heilongjiang. The event's purpose was to implement the guiding principles from Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, communicate to the world how China has integrated women's development into the overall architecture of Chinese modernization, and to showcase how Chinese women are "holding up half the sky" in advancing rural revitalization.
Agricultural Modernization
Heilongjiang serves as a "ballast stone" for safeguarding China's food security. It is also a pacesetter in agricultural modernization. On the first day of the visit, the delegation arrived in Jiansanjiang, an agricultural reclamation area in Jiamusi. At Beidahuang Jiansanjiang National Agricultural Science and Technology Park, the guests learned about the work of a team of women researchers, advanced black-soil protection technologies, and innovative cultivation models.
At Beidahuang Smart Agriculture and Agricultural Machinery Center, the guests climbed to an outdoor observation deck, to view a 10,000-mu (667-hectare) field, and they watched as drones operated over the fields. They also observed China's domestically produced, high-end intelligent agricultural machinery up close, and they climbed on large tractors for hands-on experience. Many praised the strength of "China's granary," which is being empowered by science and technology.
At Fujin 10,000-Mu Paddy Field Park, the delegation viewed and appreciated 3D rice-paddy art, and they witnessed how model women entrepreneurs helped women increase their incomes and achieve prosperity through livestreaming and e-commerce. At Heilongjiang Heliang Agriculture Co., Ltd., the diplomats visited the agricultural products exhibition hall, learned about how women new farmers participated in agricultural development and started businesses to increase their incomes, as well as the positive roles women play in agricultural industrialization in Heilongjiang.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
During their trip to Jiamusi, the delegation visited Tongjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Experience Center, to learn about the inheritance of Hezhen intangible cultural heritage and the development of women's handicrafts. They viewed works of fish-skin craftsmanship up close, tried their hand at making fish-skin paintings, and enjoyed Hezhen Yimakan storytelling, which is inscribed on UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The guests spoke highly of women's perseverance and innovation in advancing intangible cultural heritage, and many said they truly felt the strong atmosphere of all ethnic groups in China working together in unity to pursue common prosperity and development.
Scientific, Technological Innovation
In Harbin, the delegation went to Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) to visit its Space Museum. As the largest university-affiliated, aerospace-themed museum in the country, HIT Space Museum uses hundreds of exhibits to provide a comprehensive account of how China's space program was built from the ground up, expanded in scale and grew in strength. The diplomats visited the themed galleries, including "The Development of China's Space Program" and "HIT and China's Space Program," where they learned in detail about the formation of the pioneering spirit of China's space sector, the spirit of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program, and the spirit of the manned space program.
The diplomats also learned how HIT has developed alongside China's space program, through challenges and achievements, and they viewed physical exhibits and models of space technology up close. The diplomats also used mixed-reality technology to virtually and immersively take part in a carrier rocket launch. They gained a deeper appreciation of how generations of Chinese aerospace professionals, through self-reliance, independent innovation and the courage to scale new heights, have pursued excellence in their spirit and vision. The diplomats also expressed admiration for the women who have made achievements in China's aerospace industry.
Many of the diplomats noted, through their visit, they had gained a deeper appreciation of China's outstanding achievements in ensuring food security, advancing innovation in agricultural science and technology, and promoting women's development. They said they looked forward to more exchanges and cooperation with China, especially in areas such as gender equality and women's development, in the future.
(Sources: Heilongjiang Daily, Heilongjiang Women's Federation and ACWF Liaison Department)
Editor: Cui Rui
