A Brief History of the Tujia—The Tujia in the Reform and Opening-Up Period (Part Three)
III. The Western Development Drive and Social Development in Tujia Areas. On June 9 and June 17, 1999, General Secretary Jiang Zemin stated at the Central Poverty Alleviation Work Conference and the Symposium on SOE Reform and Development in the Five Northwest Provinces and Regions that conditions were ripe and the time had come to accelerate development in the central and western regions, and stressed that while continuing to accelerate the east...
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
III. The Western Development Campaign and Social Development in Tujia Areas
On June 9 and June 17, 1999, General Secretary Jiang Zemin clearly stated at the Central Poverty Alleviation Work Conference and the Symposium on the Reform and Development of State-Owned Enterprises in the Five Northwest Provinces and Regions, respectively, that the conditions for accelerating the development pace of the central and western regions were already in place and the timing was ripe. He also stressed that while continuing to accelerate the development of the eastern coastal areas, it was necessary to lose no time in accelerating the development of the central and western regions, and to place it as a major strategic task of the Party and the state in a more prominent position. In September, the Fourth Plenary Session of the Fifteenth Central Committee of the Party formally made the strategic decision to implement the Western Development Campaign. In October 2000, the Fifth Plenary Session of the Fifteenth Central Committee of the Party was held, and it adopted the Recommendations on Formulating the Tenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, taking the implementation of the Western Development Strategy as a major strategic, macro-level, and policy issue that needed to be emphatically studied and solved during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, and further expounded the great significance, strategic goals, and main tasks of the Western Development Campaign. At the same time, the state also formulated a series of preferential policies supporting the Western Development Campaign, increased fiscal transfer payments and construction investment, encouraged domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in the western region, and accelerated the pace of reform and opening up in the western region. The proposal and implementation of the Western Development Strategy was both a major decision for realizing the third-step strategic goal of China's socialist modernization drive and an important measure for advancing economic and social development in ethnic areas, narrowing the gap between east and west, and achieving common prosperity for the people.
Since reform and opening up, although the economic and social development of Tujia areas has achieved tremendous successes, due to reasons such as irrational industrial structure, weak infrastructure, and backward science and education, compared with the developed eastern regions, they are still in a relatively lagging state and there is an obvious gap. Through efforts and advocacy, Tujia areas were successively included within the scope of the Western Development Campaign, which provided rare opportunities for the development of Tujia areas. Tujia areas did not miss the opportunity and used the preferential policies provided by the Western Development Campaign to actively take measures to promote further local social development.
(1) Continue to adjust the industrial structure and promote economic development
A reasonable industrial structure can appropriately and effectively allocate and utilize capital, productivity, and natural resources, and realize coordinated and sustainable economic, social, and ecological development. Judging from the overall situation of Tujia areas, although various places have made adjustments and achieved considerable progress, due to lack of experience, the relationships within the industrial structure are still not very coordinated, as shown by: the foundation of agriculture is fragile, agricultural scientific and technological progress is slow, the added value of agricultural products is low, and it is difficult for farmers to increase income; the industrial foundation is weak, and products lack market competitiveness; the development scale of the tertiary industry is limited, its quality is not high, and its level is relatively low. This kind of industrial structure severely restricted the economic development of Tujia areas and hindered the transformation of resource advantages into economic advantages. In response to existing problems and in light of local resource advantages, Tujia areas quickly formulated new goals, namely, adhering to a market orientation, relying on advanced science and technology, adopting new mechanisms and methods suited to the development of the socialist market economy, relying on local advantageous resources, building an economic structure supported by green agriculture and characteristic industry, and supporting the development of the tertiary industry, especially tourism, thereby transforming resource advantages into competitive advantages and ultimately forming an economic system with distinctive characteristics. To achieve this goal, Tujia areas actively took measures to adjust and optimize the industrial structure.
In agriculture, it was required to strengthen the foundational position of agriculture, increase the proportion of agricultural industrialized economy, and while stabilizing grain production, develop animal husbandry, forestry, aquaculture, and deep processing of other agricultural products, develop an agricultural economic structure supported by green industry, and take the path of ecological agriculture. First, continue to stabilize and strengthen grain production and improve the quality of agricultural products. Only when grain production is stable can people's lives have basic security; this is the prerequisite for agricultural development. For this reason, Tujia areas actively introduced and promoted improved varieties, vigorously developed high-value-added specialty products, comprehensively improved the quality of agricultural products, and continuously adapted them to the requirements of people's lives moving from subsistence to moderate prosperity and the trend toward higher-quality market demand, achieving relatively great results. For example, in Xiangxi, the local area actively adjusted the planting and breeding structure and vigorously developed advantageous and characteristic agriculture. In 2003, while developing other agricultural products, it ensured a total grain output of 781,000 tons, strictly implemented the farmland protection system, stabilized basic farmland, maintained the necessary grain production capacity, implemented high-quality seedling projects, and worked hard to raise the scientific and technological content of agricultural products. In Enshi Prefecture, the total grain output in 2003 was 1,516,500 tons, an increase of 5.7% over the previous year, and it was required to continue stabilizing grain production and ensure that total grain output remained above 1.5 million tons. Second, according to local natural environment and resource characteristics, actively adjust the crop planting structure, vigorously develop cash crops, forestry, animal husbandry, and so on, and gradually expand scale to realize industrialized operation. The crop planting structure in Tujia areas is showing three major characteristics: First, on the basis of mountain resource development, cultivated land management adjustment, courtyard economy transformation, and implementation of the project of returning farmland to forest, vigorously develop the forest and fruit industry mainly based on high-efficiency economic forests. For example, planting ginkgo, citrus, honey peach, plum, sweet pear, as well as tung oil tree, raw lacquer, medicinal materials, and so on. Enshi Prefecture is rich in biological resources and has many varieties, and has long been known as a "natural botanical garden," "forest sea of western Hubei," "Chinese medicine storehouse of central China," and "species gene bank," enjoying unique conditions for development in this regard. For example, the region has more than 2,000 kinds of medicinal plants, accounting for 46% of the country's Chinese herbal medicine types, and about more than 300 kinds have been purchased as processed Chinese medicine. Among them, Coptis chinensis, Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, and Banqiao Codonopsis have excellent quality, and Lichuan's "dam lacquer" and Laifeng's "golden silk tung oil" have long been famous far and wide. Second, vigorously develop green agricultural products, such as planting tea, water shield, Nostoc commune, Osmunda japonica, konjac, Chinese yam, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, kiwifruit, lilies, and so on, and use advanced technology to do a good job in all links such as product processing, packaging, preservation, and storage, thereby improving the added value and competitiveness of products. Many agricultural products in Tujia areas, such as Wujiatai tribute tea in Xuan'en County, Enshi Prefecture, water shield from Fubao Mountain in Lichuan City, Fengtou ginger in Laifeng County, Guzhang Maojian tea, Wuling ponkan, and kiwifruit in Xiangxi, and Fanjing Cuifeng tea and Fanjing tribute tea in Guizhou, are all specialty products seizing domestic and foreign markets. Third, relying on local grassland and mountain resource advantages, select high-quality varieties, use modern breeding methods, raise pigs, cattle, sheep, and other animals, and vigorously develop the livestock industry and special breeding. For example, Xiangxi's yellow cattle, Wuling black pigs, and shelducks, and Guizhou's white goats; these products are of excellent quality and sell well in the market, and can quickly increase farmers' economic income. Fourth, pay attention to the application and promotion of agricultural science and technology. After the Western Development Campaign, Tujia areas generally recognized the role of science and technology in promoting agricultural development, and therefore also paid more attention to developing or introducing high-quality, high-yield, and high-efficiency technologies, processing, preservation, storage, and transportation technologies, and technologies for reducing consumption and increasing efficiency. Through efforts, they gradually established an agricultural science and technology innovation system and an agricultural technology promotion system, strengthened education and training for farmers, and continuously improved farmers' scientific, technological, and cultural quality and awareness of science and technology.
In industry, the Tujia areas have adapted measures to local conditions, determining their development approach based on their own actual circumstances—that is, fully relying on local resource advantages and vigorously developing distinctive industries, thereby forming an industrial structure supported by characteristic industries. First, they focus on developing local agricultural product processing industries. The region produces high-quality tea, Chinese medicinal herbs, specialty vegetables, wild mountain vegetables, fruits, and more. Developing green processing industries allows convenient use of these resource advantages, enabling the production of green products that meet contemporary demand and securing a place in the market, while also driving the development of local green agriculture, thus promoting complementary and coordinated development of industry and agriculture. The Tujia areas have achieved considerable success in this regard. For example, in Enshi Prefecture, Hubei Changyou Modern Agriculture Co., Ltd. in Hefeng County makes full use of local resources to process osmund, edible fungi, selenium-enriched tea, leafy vegetables, Chinese chestnuts, wild mountain vegetables, and other agricultural and sideline native products. Over 80% of its products are exported, mainly to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asian countries, and China's Hong Kong and Taiwan regions. The company operates on a scale according to the "company + base + farmers" model, achieving good economic and social benefits. Through the development of osmund, Chinese chestnut, shiitake mushroom, and high-mountain off-season vegetable industries, it has become the largest osmund processing and export base in southern China and the leading enterprise in Hubei Province for the development of premium shiitake mushroom series products and various agricultural and sideline products. In developing a distinctive economy, it has become a star enterprise driving all of Enshi Prefecture and radiating into the Wuling Mountain area, directly benefiting over 7,000 poor households and nearly 30,000 people in the county and surrounding counties and cities, and annually employing over 1,300 rural surplus laborers and laid-off workers at the company. Through its industrial model, the company has driven industrial development throughout the county, becoming a key leading enterprise in agricultural industrialization and a key enterprise in agricultural product processing in Hubei Province. Another example is Lichuan City Ethnic Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which uses the authentic medicinal herb "chicken-claw coptis" to produce Xianglian tablets, coptis capsules, coptis upper-clearing tablets, Zuojin pills, and other Chinese patent medicines, as well as Baiyang tofu produced in the city, all of which are in short supply on the market. Hefeng County Bafeng Amino Acid Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company produces 14 types of amino acids and preparations, holding over 30% of the domestic market share and exporting to 34 countries and regions. Various localities also vigorously develop selenium-enriched tea processing, producing 10,700 tons of refined tea in 2003. In addition, Enshi Prefecture has processing industries for konjac, fruits, wild mountain vegetables, high-mountain pollution-free vegetables, and more, with broad prospects in domestic and international markets. Enshi Prefecture is preparing to accelerate the construction of these advantageous agricultural product bases and advance agricultural industrialization. The completion of these bases creates favorable conditions for the sustainable development of local green industry. In Xiangxi, various localities also actively utilize local unique resources to develop green feed, kiwi fruit juice, golden pear, and other processing industries, and increase the development of biological products such as fruit king extract, tea polyphenols, saponins, artemisinin, and puerarin, rapidly forming a biopharmaceutical industry with comparative advantages. Second, accelerate the development of processing industries focused on distinctive resource exploitation. The Tujia areas are rich in mineral resources and high-quality tobacco leaf resources. Various localities have made great efforts in these resources, building related industries and promoting rapid economic growth. For example, Enshi Prefecture is one of the four major tobacco leaf production bases in the country and an important tobacco leaf export base. Its burley tobacco ranks first in Asia and third in the world in quality, exported to over 20 countries, with export volume accounting for more than half of the national total. Its flue-cured tobacco ranks third in the country in quality. Due to the excellent quality of tobacco leaves, the locality uses tobacco leaf resources to expand and strengthen the cigarette industry, which is now becoming one of the five pillar industries of Enshi Prefecture (cigarettes, electricity, pharmaceutical chemicals, selenium-enriched green food, and building materials), with good market sales. In 2003, cigarette production was 426,500 cases, a year-on-year increase of 73%. Xiangxi also develops tobacco leaves as a major industry, with tobacco leaf production reaching 17,800 tons in 2003, and the Jishou threshing and redrying plant underwent further expansion. In Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County, Guizhou, flue-cured tobacco has become the first pillar industry in all areas of the county. In Yinjiang, Dejiang, Sinan, and other counties, as well as Tujia townships under various counties, flue-cured tobacco is mostly the main pillar industry. In addition, Xiangxi is rich in mineral resources, with 63 minerals discovered, of which 24 have reserves of Grade C or above. Proven mercury metal reserves rank fourth in China; proven industrial reserves of aluminum ore rank first in Hunan; the Huayuan lead-zinc mine is a large national mineral deposit, ranking third in the country; proven manganese ore reserves exceed 30 million tons, ranking second in China. For this reason, Xiangxi places special emphasis on mineral product processing. On the original basis, it has reformed related enterprises, such as centering on Dongfang Manganese Group and Huayuan Zhenxing Chemical Plant for manganese product development; centering on Sanli Group and Jinshi Company for zinc product development; and centering on Luxi Jintian Aluminum Industry for aluminum ingot production and processing. Third, vigorously develop the hydropower industry based on water resources. The Tujia areas have many rivers and relatively abundant water resources. Therefore, actively developing power resources will inevitably become an important project for local industrial development. Various localities have built hydropower projects one after another, continuously expanding power generation capacity and expanding transmission channels to send electricity outward, providing energy security for economic development while also using reservoirs for aquaculture, giving full play to the comprehensive benefits of water resources.
In the tertiary industry, the focus is on developing tourism. Tourism can optimize the economic structure and expand employment channels, and is a recognized sunrise industry. The Tujia areas possess unique natural ecological resources, rich and distinctive local customs, and historical and cultural landscapes—these are favorable conditions for developing tourism. Various localities should continue to develop these important tourism resources, further improve management and service levels, open up golden tourism routes, and promote eco-tourism, holiday tourism, and "silver-haired" tourism, making tourism an important economic growth point for the Tujia areas. For example, the Enshi region has a pleasant climate, simple and honest folk customs, and beautiful scenery. Its natural landscapes are known for being "majestic, wondrous, elegant, superb, and precipitous." Famous attractions in Enshi Prefecture include Qingjiang River Rafting, Suobuya Stone Forest, Badong Shennong Stream Drifting, Lichuan Tenglong Cave, Laifeng Xianfo Temple, and Xianfeng Golden Cave. Tourism festivals and events such as the "Enshi Qingjiang International Rafting Festival," "Badong Shennong Stream Ethnic Customs Premiere Tour," "Enshi Suobuya Stone Forest Daughter's Festival," and "Lichuan Folk Song Festival" have been held. In 2000, it received 520,000 domestic and international tourists, with total tourism revenue of 125 million yuan, including foreign exchange earnings of 5 million USD. It is now following the construction goal of "Green Enshi Prefecture, Tujia and Miao Customs Garden," vigorously developing cultural and ecological tourism, and doing a good job in the tourism themes of "mountains, water, caves, and customs." Similarly, the Xiangxi Tujia areas also possess uniquely distinctive tourism resources, such as the World Natural Heritage Zhangjiajie, Mengdong River Drifting, Yongshun Furong Town, Longshan Liye, and Fenghuang Ancient Town. These attractions strongly draw large numbers of tourists. In 2003, it received 2.757 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 9%, with tourism revenue of 360 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 35%. It is now centered on the theme of "Mysterious Xiangxi Tour," highlighting three major features—profound historical culture, magical mountain and water scenery, and rich ethnic customs—integrating four major scenic areas: Fenghuang National Cultural City Tour, Liye Warring States Ancient City Tour, Jishou Ethnic Customs Tour, and Mengdong River Qifeng Lake Tujia Cultural and Ecological Leisure Tour, creating premium routes such as Zhangjiajie–Mengdong River Qifeng Lake–Jishou–Fenghuang, forming the overall tourism pattern of Xiangxi. It also excavates ethnic cultural resources, enhances tourism cultural quality, and strives to build Jishou into a border region ethnic cultural center and Yongshun into a Tujia cultural exhibition center, aiming to achieve the task of receiving over 3 million tourists and total tourism revenue of over 450 million yuan. In addition, the Tujia areas generally attach importance to the organization and innovation of ethnic culture, fully displaying Tujia folk songs, dances, festivals, unique skills, and beliefs in tourism. On the one hand, this inherits and innovates Tujia traditional culture; on the other hand, it attracts tourists and increases the cultural significance of tourism.
Because the Tujia areas actively adjusted their economic structure based on actual circumstances, fully leveraged local advantages, and developed a distinctive economy, they achieved good economic benefits and powerfully promoted local social development. For example, in 2003, Xiangxi's GDP was 8.216 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.1%, of which the added value of the primary industry was 2.237 billion yuan, an increase of 2.9%; the added value of the secondary industry was 2.984 billion yuan, an increase of 11%; and the added value of the tertiary industry was 2.995 billion yuan, an increase of 9.6%. Enshi Prefecture completed a GDP of 14.084 billion yuan in 2003, an increase of 7% over the previous year. The primary industry completed an added value of 5.453 billion yuan, an increase of 4.2%; the secondary industry added value was 4.221 billion yuan, an increase of 9.3%; and the tertiary industry added value was 4.410 billion yuan, an increase of 8.2%. The ratio of the three industrial structures was 38.7:30:31.3.
(2) Building Infrastructure to Create Conditions for Social Development
Sound infrastructure is not only a prerequisite and foundation for attracting investment and economic development, but also an important indicator of people's prosperity. Therefore, infrastructure construction is crucial.
Previously, due to economic backwardness and limited funds in the Tujia areas, investment in infrastructure construction was clearly insufficient, and there was a considerable gap compared with other regions, which seriously affected local economic development. The Western Development Campaign provided ample funds and technical support for the modernization of the Tujia areas. Localities took this opportunity, and after vigorous construction in recent years, infrastructure has been significantly improved, creating favorable space for economic development.
Transportation: Since entering the scope of the national Western Development Campaign in 2001, during the first four years of the "Tenth Five-Year Plan," Xiangxi Prefecture secured a total of 3.16 billion yuan in special funds for Western Development, launching a number of major projects in infrastructure, ecological environment, and social undertakings. Of this, infrastructure investment was 1.18 billion yuan, accounting for 37.3% of the total funds. The implementation of key projects drove rapid growth in fixed asset investment. During the first four years of the "Tenth Five-Year Plan," cumulative fixed asset investment reached 16.5 billion yuan, accounting for 55% of Xiangxi Prefecture's total fixed asset investment since the founding of the People's Republic of China, providing financial guarantees for local transportation facility construction and other projects. The Jishou–Zhangjiajie secondary highway has now been completed. In the Changde–Jishou–Chadong expressway project, the Changde–Jishou section has begun construction and is expected to be completed in 2007; the Jishou–Chadong section has received approval to commence construction and is about to start. In Enshi Prefecture, at the end of November 2003, the state successively approved the feasibility study reports for three major projects: the Yichang–Wanzhou Railway, the Yichang–Enshi Expressway, and the Enshi Airport expansion and renovation. The Yichang–Wanzhou Railway and Enshi Airport expansion and renovation projects held groundbreaking ceremonies on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Enshi Prefecture, and the control works of the Yichang–Enshi Expressway also began construction in mid-November. These projects are expected to be completed successively by 2008. By then, Enshi's connections with the outside world will be more rapid, and the transportation obstacles constraining local economic development will be fundamentally resolved.
Energy: In the Tujia areas, although water resources are abundant, due to tight funds and insufficient development efforts, they have long been unable to meet the needs of enterprise production and people's daily life. Energy supply has constantly plagued local economic revitalization. After the Western Development Campaign, various localities made energy construction a priority. Through their efforts, considerable achievements have been made. For example, in Xiangxi, the Wanmipo Hydropower Station project has now been completed; the 220 kV power transmission construction projects in Baojing and Luxi have been basically completed; the Gaojiaba Reservoir project is proceeding smoothly; and preparations are being made to further improve the 220 kV and 110 kV transmission and distribution networks, with plans to implement a 500 kV transmission and transformation project on this basis. In addition, new power source points are being vigorously developed to actively establish a sound energy security system for local economic development. In Enshi Prefecture, local authorities have also increased efforts in hydropower project construction and actively participated in competing for the right to build large-scale projects. The fact that the Shuibuya Hydropower Station project was located within Enshi Prefecture is the result of the unremitting efforts of the local government and the Tujia and other ethnic groups working together. The Shuibuya Hydropower Station project is located in Badong County, Enshi Prefecture. It is the leading power station of the three-step development of hydropower on the main stream of the Qingjiang River, a key project in implementing the national hydropower pilot development model of "basin, cascade, rolling, and comprehensive" development, an important power source point planned for construction in Central China during the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, and was listed as a national key construction project in 2002. The normal water storage level of Shuibuya Hydropower Station is 400 meters, with a total reservoir capacity of 4.58 billion cubic meters and a total installed capacity of 1.6 million kilowatts, installing four 400,000-kilowatt hydroelectric generating units, with a designed multi-year average power generation of 3.92 billion kilowatt-hours. The total project investment is 10.6 billion yuan, with a construction period from 2002 to 2009. The first unit is scheduled to be put into operation for power generation in July 2007, all units are scheduled to be put into operation by the end of 2008, and the reservoir is scheduled to store water to the normal high level by June 2009. Shuibuya Hydropower Station is mainly for power generation and flood control, with multi-year regulation capability, undertaking peak-shaving tasks for the Central China power grid. It is one of the backbone power sources and main peak-shaving and frequency-regulation power stations of the Central China power grid, and is also a compensatory regulation power station for the Three Gorges and Gezhouba power stations. The construction of the power station can effectively realize the optimal allocation of energy resources in Central China and play a positive role in environmental protection and sustainable development. In addition, after the reservoir is formed, it can also greatly promote the development of local transportation, tourism, and aquaculture, while driving the development of related local industries, playing an important role in promoting comprehensive social and economic progress in the Tujia areas of western Hubei and accelerating their pace of poverty alleviation and prosperity.
In addition, in order to promote rural production and labor, improve farmers' living conditions and quality of life, and let people live in a comfortable and clean environment, the Tujia areas actively raised funds to strengthen rural infrastructure construction. In addition to implementing rural road construction and rural power grid renovation, various localities also carried out farmland water conservancy, water and toilet improvement, and telecommunications service projects. For example, Enshi Prefecture, targeting the actual situation of local rural areas, highlighted the promotion of rural biogas, rural road construction, and "eliminating thatched huts and relocating residents" work. In 2003, the prefecture built 80,000 new biogas digesters, bringing the cumulative total to 145,000, and strives to basically popularize biogas throughout the prefecture by 2007, achieving the goal of becoming the "Number One Biogas Prefecture in the Country." This not only consolidates the results of returning farmland to forest but also changes people's lifestyles and promotes harmony between humanity and nature. Through implementing the western county oil road project and county-township road and inter-county road projects, by 2003, Enshi Prefecture's road mileage open to traffic reached 8,125 kilometers. Basically all counties have access to secondary highways, 80% of townships have oil roads, and over 90% of administrative villages have road access. Local transportation has been greatly improved. The construction of rural roads has greatly promoted the flow of goods, prospered the market economy, and facilitated people's travel and access to information. In addition, because many rural areas have harsh living conditions and people live in poverty, with some still living in thatched huts and rock caves, in order to change their living environment, Enshi Prefecture implemented the "Housing Project," "Virtuous Governance Project," and "People's Heart Project," raising 30 million yuan in funds. In 2003, the relocation task for over 5,000 households and nearly 20,000 residents in the prefecture was basically completed. In short, the realization of these projects has brought people real benefits, and the rural living environment has undergone great changes, deeply supported and endorsed by the people.
(3) Prosper Social Undertakings and Promote Social Harmony
Since the reform and opening up, the social undertakings of the Tujia areas have, despite tremendous achievements, shown a sound momentum of development in education, science and technology, health, culture and other fields. However, compared with the outside world, the development of local social undertakings still lags somewhat behind, which has affected the sustainable development of the local economy and the further improvement of people's quality of life. To this end, the Tujia areas have adopted various measures to strengthen the development of social undertakings.
First, vigorously develop education. This mainly includes: establishing a mechanism to guarantee education funding, such as continuing to set up compulsory education grants for ethnic minorities and special subsidies for ethnic education, and continuing to implement the subsidy policy for high-cold townships, so as to effectively solve the study and living difficulties of poor students in ethnic minority and ethnic areas, thereby consolidating and raising the level of nine-year compulsory education, gradually realizing free nine-year compulsory education, and controlling and continuously reducing the dropout rate of primary and junior high school students. For example, in order to do a good job in rural nine-year compulsory education, Enshi Prefecture in 2003 focused on solving the problems of building and renovating 50 boarding junior high schools, the "peak crossing" of junior high school enrollment (enrollment peaks, which often cause enrollment difficulties), and the difficulty of schooling for students in remote high-cold mountainous areas. In the autumn of 2003, the enrollment rate of school-age children in primary schools in the whole prefecture was 98.6%, the consolidation rate of primary school students was 99.2%, the proportion of primary school graduates entering junior high school was 99.2%, and the enrollment rate of school-age adolescents in junior high school was 90.7%. Optimize the educational structure and establish and improve the educational system. In addition to focusing on universalizing compulsory education, also support the development of senior high school education and promote the coordinated development of regular senior high school education and vocational education; deepen the reform of the educational system, improve educational quality and school-running efficiency, comprehensively implement quality-oriented education, and actively explore school-running mechanisms and models compatible with the socialist market economy system; continue to increase training for local teachers, actively arrange for teachers to continue their studies and further training, and improve their teaching standards; actively advocate and encourage enterprises, institutions, social organizations, community organizations and individuals to run various types of schools and cultivate various professional talents that meet market needs. From the reform and opening up to the Western Development Campaign, educational models have been continuously reformed and developed, giving Tujia scholars broader space for academic development and opportunities to display their talents. Some Tujia scholars have achieved outstanding academic achievements, among whom the religious scholar Zhuo Xinping is an outstanding representative.
Zhuo Xinping, Tujia ethnicity, was born in 1955 in Cili County, Hunan. In 1987 he received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Munich, Germany. He is currently director of the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, director of the Center for Christian Studies, researcher, and doctoral supervisor. In 1988 he was accepted as a lifetime member of the German Association for the History of Religion, in 1996 he was rated as a national-level young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions and was elected an academician of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and in 2001 he was elected president of the Chinese Association for Religious Studies. In 2008 he was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress. His research fields are religious theory and Christian theology. He has published 12 individual academic monographs, edited and co-authored more than 10 works, and published nearly 100 papers.
Second, continue to support the development of science and technology undertakings. Support local targeted basic applied research and applied technology research, and arrange relevant funds to assist; continue to encourage colleges and universities and scientific research institutions to adopt various forms to carry out science and technology poverty alleviation in Tujia areas; strengthen technology introduction and promotion, support local market-oriented and science-and-technology-based efforts to introduce and promote new achievements and new technologies, promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into productive forces, and directly serve local people's production and life; establish a mechanism for scientific and technological innovation, stimulate scientific and technological innovation activities, and create a relaxed environment conducive to scientific and technological innovation.
Third, continuously develop Tujia cultural undertakings. Strengthen the construction of cultural infrastructure and the public cultural service system, vigorously cultivate various ethnic cultural and artistic talents and management talents, accelerate the construction of rural cultural center households and the radio and television "village-to-village" project in ethnic areas, and focus on supporting public welfare cultural undertakings with Tujia forms and characteristics; protect Tujia cultural brands and strive to develop and create fine Tujia cultural and artistic works; increase protection and rescue efforts for Tujia intangible cultural heritage, scenic spots and historic sites, cultural relics, etc., and set up special funds for collecting, sorting out and promoting ethnic culture, and promptly collect, sort out and publish ancient Tujia books; hold Tujia theatrical performances or competitions to display and prosper Tujia culture. In Enshi Prefecture, various methods have been adopted to promote Tujia culture, including holding festival performances or competitions and promoting Tujia songs and dances. For example, in May 2001, Laifeng County held the first Hand-Waving Festival, displaying the style of the Tujia hand-waving dance through competition. Afterward, the hand-waving dance quickly spread throughout the prefecture and became a square dance form loved by people of all ethnic groups in counties and cities such as Hefeng, Xuan'en, Xianfeng and Lichuan. During the May Day holiday in 2002, the Enshi Prefecture Federation of Trade Unions, the Prefecture Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Prefecture Culture and Sports Bureau jointly held a hand-waving dance competition for employees directly under the prefecture. In December 2002, Xianfeng County, on the basis of promoting the hand-waving dance throughout the county, held a hand-waving dance competition. In 2002, Lichuan City held the "First China Lichuan Folk Song Art Festival." In 2002, seven units including the Lichuan City Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau and the Culture and Sports Bureau jointly held the "First Lichuan City 'Dragon Boat Melody' Cup Mountain Folk Song Singer Competition." Badong County held an ethnic culture and art festival in Xiqiuwan, performing Badong Tang opera, shadow puppetry, lion dance, dragon boat play and many other artistic programs with ethnic characteristics. Enshi Prefecture also displayed ethnic costumes by holding ethnic costume performances and soliciting ethnic costumes. In 1999, the Enshi Prefecture Ethnic Affairs Commission carried out an ethnic costume solicitation activity throughout the prefecture, collecting 5 design proposals and 44 sets of clothing, and on this basis established an ethnic exhibition room. In early 2003, the Enshi Prefecture Ethnic Affairs Commission organized relevant personnel to specially design a set of ethnic clothing reflecting the Tujia characteristics of Enshi Prefecture for Prefectural Governor Zhou Xingwang. Zhou Xianwang also presented the Tujia red robe designed and made by the Enshi Prefecture Ethnic Affairs Commission to Comrade Wen Jiabao. Enshi Prefecture also inherited traditional Tujia festivals by holding Tujia festival activities. For example, the "Cattle King Festival," "Daughter's Meeting," "Hand-Waving Festival" and "Prefecture Celebration" were designated as the four major ethnic festivals of the prefecture. In 1999, Laifeng County held the Tujia Cattle King Festival, and Enshi City held Daughter's Meeting activities many times. In 2001, in conjunction with the "Qingjiang International Rapids Crossing Festival," Enshi City held the Tujia Daughter's Meeting at the Suobuya Stone Forest tourist scenic area. In 2002, during the Hubei Provincial Ethnic Games, Enshi City successfully held the annual Daughter's Meeting again at Suobuya. Through festival activities such as antiphonal mountain songs and Tujia wedding custom performances, the traditional Tujia Daughter's Meeting was interpreted as a Tujia cultural demonstration activity, organically combining the natural landscape of Suobuya with the cultural landscape of the Daughter's Meeting, and turning the Daughter's Meeting into a fine festival famous at home and abroad. Every year, each county and city holds rich and colorful prefecture celebration activities according to its own actual conditions, enriching the festival culture of the broad masses through diverse ethnic cultural activities. In addition, by building landmark ethnic cultural projects, such as constructing hand-waving halls and ethnic customs parks, the ethnic memory of the Tujia is reawakened and their awareness of cultural protection is stimulated.
Fourth, continuously develop the health and sports undertakings of the Tujia and other ethnic minorities. Tujia areas are actively taking measures to formulate health development plans and give priority to arranging public health system construction and medical and health infrastructure construction projects in ethnic areas; support ethnic areas in developing ethnic medicine undertakings, strengthen the construction of ethnic medical institutions, attach importance to sorting out ethnic medical literature, and strengthen ethnic medicine research; funds for the prevention and treatment of endemic diseases should be tilted toward ethnic areas; develop the construction of public health prevention and treatment systems in ethnic areas and improve the ability to treat sudden public health incidents; support ethnic areas in establishing and improving rural health service systems, accelerate the construction of the new rural cooperative medical system in ethnic areas, continuously improve the medical assistance system for extremely poor ethnic minority people, reduce maternal mortality and eliminate neonatal tetanus, and support undertakings such as endemic disease prevention and treatment, rural medical assistance and rural health construction. In line with the actual conditions of ethnic minorities, guide and encourage ethnic minorities to implement family planning and healthy birth and child rearing in accordance with the law, improve population quality, and continue to tilt investment in family planning undertakings toward ethnic areas. Further increase investment in infrastructure construction such as sports venues in ethnic areas, actively hold traditional ethnic minority sports games, improve the sports competition level of ethnic minorities, and improve their physical fitness. In addition, help Tujia areas accelerate the construction of the social security system. When arranging social security funds, reemployment subsidy funds, relief funds, preferential care funds and urban residents' minimum living security funds, relevant departments such as finance, labor and social security, and civil affairs at all levels give key preference to ethnic minority areas and support ethnic areas in establishing and improving medical, work-related injury, maternity and other insurance systems.