Group of National Situation Investigation Base Project of West-Asian and African Studies went to Lianyungang City

From September 10th to 13th of 2018, Li Wengang, Liu Naiya, Zhou Jinyan, Meng Jin, Shen Xiaolei and the chief of the Middle East Studies Tang Zhichao, who are the group members of national situation investigation base project of Institute of West-Asian and African Studies went to Lianyungang City of Jiangsu Province to conduct investigation regarding the utilization of the culture of “the Journey to the West” and the development under the Initiative of the “Belt and Road”, and try to find out how to explore the connotation of the culture of “the Journey to the West” and provide incentives to local development. Under the support and assistance of Lianyungang government research office, municipal academy of social science and related department like the Cultural Tourism Department, the investigation group took part in the opening ceremony of “Monkey King Supremacy 2018 China, Lianyungang the Culture of ‘the Journey to the West’ Carnival”, investigated the old streets of Lianyungang, and held a symposium with the related department of municipal party committee and municipal government as well as renowned local experts on “the Journey to the West”.

On September 11th, the investigation group took part in one of the activities of “the Monkey King Supremacy 2018 China, Lian Yungang the Culture of the Journey to the West Carnival” in Lian Yungang. This activity was sponsored by publicity department of the municipal committee, network information office of the municipal committee, municipal culture reform office, municipal tourism office and scenic spots of Yun Tai Mountain, assisted by the media group of Lianyungang, newspaper media group of Lianyungang and network communication association of Lianyungang. The purpose of it is to make the development requirements of “the high quality of culture construction” practicable, to advance the cultural development of the whole city, to support “developing on high quality; the later developed area can achieve the goal first” aim, so as to constantly meet the Lianyungang people’s ever-growing demand for a better life. During the activity，the renowned monkey king of opera art gathered at the Flowers and Fruits mountain, presented different figures of Wukong who were seeking for hegemony of Peking opera, Shao opera and Yu opera. Three types of opera’s monkey king contested at the same stage, and the display of modern dance form of monkey king’s dance battled and international monkey king elements won the audiences’ intermittent applauses. The group members of the investigation projects said not only had they enjoyed an art feast, but were also touched by the monkey king’s spiritual glamour.

The investigation group went to the old street of Lianyungang to make investigations on September 12th. The old street of Lianyugang seats at the Lianyun block, Lianyun district, and it is also called ”Lianyun old street”,”Lianyun ancient town” for it is one of the four old streets in the historic developments of Lianyungang. The history of it can date back to the construction of the Lianyun harbor in 1933, and it went through the management of the government of the Republic China, the Invasion of Japan and the Liberations in 1948. By the virtues of peculiar geological style like stone streets and stone houses as well as the imprint of different times, it forms its “the start of land bridge, old cave and harbor port, ocean of mountains and city of stones, combination of the West and the East” special location. It is a coast mountain city and stone town which involves the Republic of China era’s verve, traditional customs civilization, coast bar civilization, fashion boutique shopping and ocean view for a holiday. Except investigating the architecture style, local conditions and customs of the old street, the group members visited the historic culture center of the old street, folk craft center and African art museum intensively. During the investigation, the group members not only felt the charm of the old street and the historical and cultural inside information, but also deeply felt the regional advantages of Lianyungang, as the bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge, in the building of “The Belt and Road Initiative”.

In the afternoon of September 12th, under the organization of Ma Dong, the deputy director of government studies officer of Lianyungang, the investigating group held a symposium with other experts and officers to discuss the culture of the Journey to the West and the tourism development of Lianyungang. Those experts and officers include the vice-president of Lianyungang’s Academy of Social Sciences Zhu Qiaoling, the professor of Asia-Pacific Culture Studies center of Huainan Institute of Technology Li Hongpu, the deputy director of Lianyungang Municipal Party Committee Publicity Department Han Meng, the deputy director general of planning office of tourism administration of Lianyungang Jiang Nan, the section member of Lianyungang government studies office Yu Haimei, the vice-minister Yuntai mountain scenic spot management committee party and masses department of Lianyungang Wang Shanjing, the deputy director of Yuntai mountain tourism development department of Lianyungang Fu Xianlong, the chairman of the Research Association of the Journey to the West of Lianyungang Zhou Jingping, the secretary general of the Research Association of the Journey to the West of Lianyungang Qi Yaping, the assistant researcher of Lianyungang Academy of Social Sciences Jiang Jikun.  
 

Professor Li Hongpu, who is a renowned expert in the Journey to the West studies in China and also the director of Asia-Pacific Culture Studies Institute of Huaihai Institute of Technology, gave a detailed introduction about the relationship about Lianyungang, Flower and Fruit mountain and the Journey to the West. Professor Li thought that Flower and Fruit mountain is not only a natural and human scenic spot, but also a heritage spot, which has a deep historical and cultural foundation. The Flower and Fruit mountain should have considerable tourism market both home and abroad, for the Journey to the West itself just told us there was a road heading to the West since ancient time. The journey to the West culture upon which it based is an open culture, and it perfectly corresponds to the open concept which advocated by the “The Belt and Road Initiative ” that China is building on. Other participants made a wide range discussion concerning about the current situation of Lianyungang tourism, the development of the culture of the Journey to the West, the forging of the culture of the Journey to the West and visiting card of Lianyungang as well as the better combination of the culture of the Journey to the West and the development of Lianyungang.

Through this investigation, the investigation group thought Lianyungang —as the eastern start of new Eurasian land bridge, an important node of “The Belt and Road Initiative” and monkey king’s homeland as well as an vital receiving spot of the culture of the Journey to the West, not only has important regional advantages, but also deep historical and cultural foundation. If it can combine the culture of the Journey to the West with tourism, it can undoubtedly spur the economical development of Lianyungang, and thus put the concept “developing on high quality, so as to enable the later developed area can achieve the goal first” which put forward by President Xi Jinping into practice.