“2016 YHA YOUTH CULTURAL EXCHANGE TOUR”
”Discovering the beauty of nature – A tour on rural sustainability”
Organized by the YHA China, the “2016 YHA Youth Cultural Exchange Tour” was successfully held in Guangzhou and Guilin (Xingping Town of Yangshuo County) from 24 to 27 November. Twenty youngsters from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China have joined to discover the beauty of nature in China. Participants enriched their understanding in urbanisation and rural conservation in relation to sustainability through a series of rural cultural activities and discussions.
Sustainable Development in Rural Area
As a country founded of farming, developing the organic farm has been a milestone of sustainable development in China rural area. By visiting the organic farm, participants got to know how the farm owner makes strides in sustainable development. The organic farm has set up a natural ecosystem, extracting water with excrement from the fish pond and irrigating the organic farmland. The excrement from the fish can be used as the fertilizer of the plants; while the water will then be purified through a water purification system and flow again into the pond.
Exploring the Great China
As we have a saying ‘east or west, home is the best’, Guilin is famous for its stunning scenery. Participants were invited to go on a bamboo raft drifting along the Lijiang River, enjoying the tranquillity of countryside and experiencing the magnificent landscape.
Youngsters are energetic and willing to challenge themselves by walking out the comfort zone. Participants had a chance to take on challenges and have fun with outdoor rock climbing. With simple safety equipment, each participant had 8 minutes to climb up Mount Yuen Bo, which is a famous mountain in Guilin, being chosen to be printed on RBM20 Yuan note. Though the 28m-cliff is sheer and rugged, participants were trying hard to reach the top of Mount Yuen Bo to enjoy the scenery of Yangshuo County and Lijiang.
A Unique Cultural Exchange Experience
In order to enrich their understanding in urbanization and rural conservation, participants prepared presentation about different sustainability activities in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Through sharing and discussions, youngsters had in-depth exchange and learnt to appreciate the diversity of culture and thoughts between one another.
2017 YHA Youth Cultural Exchange Tour
YHA Youth Cultural Exchange Tour is a three-year activity, which was firstly taken place at Hong Kong in 2015 summer, organized by Hong Kong Youth Hostel Association. In 2017, YHA Youth Cultural Exchange Tour will be held in Taiwan by Taiwan Youth Hostel Association. Please stay tuned.