China News Service, Yunnan Pu'er, September 24th. Title: Yunnan Ximeng: Why does the flower of national unity and progress bloom all over the Awa Mountains?
China News Service reporter Han Shuainan
"Ximeng has a profound tradition of national unity. The original intention of unity has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 70 years. Now the concept of national unity and progress has long been integrated into every inch of land in the Wa Mountains." Recently, Pu'er National Unity Oath Monument Monument Oath, on behalf of future generations, Yankemu said in an interview with a reporter from China News Service.
Ximeng Wa Autonomous County in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province is located on the border between China and Myanmar. It is home to the Wa, Lahu, Dai, Han and other ethnic groups. It is the birthplace of the famous song "The Wa People Sing a New Song". Recently, reporters came to Ximeng, following the songs and vows, to explore the path and achievements of integrating national unity and progress into the daily life of the village.
Ximeng County carried out activities with the theme of National Unity and Progress Publicity Week in front of the National Unity Oath Tower. Photo by China News Service reporter Han Shuainan
a vow
In 1950, Lameng and Li Bao, the leaders of the Wa ethnic group in Ximeng, and other ethnic representatives went to Beijing to attend the first anniversary of the National Day. After returning to Yunnan, they set up the "Pu'er ethnic unity oath monument" with representatives of 26 ethnic groups.
"My grandpa had never left the Awa Mountains before. They saw high-rise buildings, cars, ships and airplanes for the first time along the way, and their thoughts changed greatly." Yankemu, who told this story, is La Meng's grandson.
After returning to Ximeng, Lameng, Li Bao and more than 3,000 people of all ethnic groups gathered at Fodian Mountain. Each person picked up a stone and built it into a tower, engraving the oath of "always following the Communist Party" into the blood of the people of Wa Mountain.
Over the past seventy years, this "National Unity Alliance Tower" has been repaired and protected and has become an important local red landmark. At present, Ximeng has built 4 educational practice bases, including the National Unity Alliance Pledge Tower and Lameng Memorial Garden, with an average annual reception of more than 30,000 people; 56 "red commentators" give regular lectures; 12 micro-videos such as "The Pledge" have been played more than 5 million times, and 64 literary and artistic masterpieces such as "Reply" and "Alliance Pledge" have entered the villages from the stage.
“People from all walks of life often come to the Lameng Memorial Park to learn about Lameng’s story, study the oath, and understand the original intention.” Yan Jiang, secretary of the Party branch of Banqing Village, told reporters that the spirit of the red oath continues to radiate vitality in Ximeng.
Women in Yong'er Village are weaving. Photo by China News Service reporter Han Shuainan
A road to common prosperity
Walking into Yong'e Village, Masan Village, Mengka Town, Na Huai, a Wa woman, was leading the women in the village to make Wa brocades. Colorful silk threads were intertwined into satchels, shawls and other products with Wa totems in their hands. Doing handicrafts during slack periods and working in the fields during busy periods have become daily routines for women in this border village.
"I am the first college student in the village. Since I returned to my hometown in 2014, I have seen the village develop better and better." Na Neng, secretary and director of the Party branch of Masan Village, said that now more and more college students like her are returning to their hometown to start businesses in the village, and young people can have good development at home.
Yong'e Village relies on the original ecological Wa culture and border ecological resources to create diversified business formats such as B&B accommodation, intangible cultural heritage experience, and production and sales of agricultural specialty products, allowing villagers to increase their income at home and get rich nearby. In 2025, Yong'ezhai will receive more than 40,000 tourists, and its comprehensive tourism revenue will exceed 400,000 yuan.
The transformation of this border Wa village is a vivid epitome of the various ethnic groups in the Western League working together to get rich. Based on its resource endowment, the county promotes the three-dimensional intercropping model of "nuts + coffee" and "nuts + tea", expands sugar cane, ecological forest and fruit and other special industries, improves the mechanism of linking farmers with farmers, and drives 38,500 people to achieve transferred employment. People of all ethnic groups work together to develop and help each other, creating a harmonious picture of people of all ethnic groups in the border areas working together to achieve prosperity.
The police visited the house. Photo courtesy of Ximeng County Public Security Bureau
a protective net
Ximeng is located on the border, and 6 of the 7 towns are connected to Myanmar. Along the 89.33-kilometer border, governance extends further.
"Two households in Yuesong Village, Yuesong Township, had a conflict over the demarcation of forest land boundaries. They refused to give in to each other for more than half a month, and they quarreled when they met." Zhao Xudong, a police officer from the Ximeng County Public Security Bureau, told a case of the bureau's multi-faceted joint investigation. When the mediator caught signs of risk in Yuesong Village, he squatted in the farmyard and listened to the long-standing grievances of both parties. He then took out land contract ownership materials to present facts and policies, combined with local village customs to ease emotions, and finally led to the signing of a settlement agreement between the two parties.
"When encountering disputes among the masses, I will invite them to sit by the firepit and drink tea together. I will first listen to both parties to finish their words, and then explain clearly one by one according to the policies and regulations." Yan Lei, secretary of the Party branch of Zhongke Village, Zhongke Town, uses "firepit discussion + bilingual mediation" to handle disputes. In recent years, a total of 96 cases have been mediated.
In recent years, Ximeng County has issued 19 supporting institutional documents for ethnic affairs and border governance, divided and standardized 878 grassroots governance grids, promoted the construction of safe Ximeng and rule of law Ximeng on a regular basis, and continued to improve the modernization level of grassroots governance.
"I can say that in more than seventy years, there has never been an incident in the Western League that affected national unity." Yankemu said proudly.
From the sincere original intention of the alliance pledged on the mountain fortress in the Buddhist temple to the harmonious prosperity of every village today, the people of all ethnic groups in Ximeng have continued to inherit the gene of unity and gathered together to sing the five new songs of the times: "Loyalty, Confidence, Unity, Endeavor, and Happiness", allowing the flower of national unity and progress to bloom more and more brilliantly in Ximeng.
