From 11- 14 April 2025, the 2025 “Discover China Cultural Tour” of Yunnan for Diplomats in China event of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China (MOCT) was successfully held in Dali and Lijiang, Yunnan Province. Through the support and facilitation of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Indonesia was invited as the Guest of Honor of the Trip. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ACC, together with Ambassador Djauhari Oratmangun of Indonesia to China, delegation of ASEAN diplomats and diplomatic envoys from 12 countries, including Ambassador of Mongolia to China participated the trip.

At the welcome ceremony in Dali, Shi Zhongjun highlighted Yunnan’s unique natural landscapes and colorful ethnic cultures, as well as the achievements in ecological conservation and smart city development which can be a model for sustainable development for the region. The Yunnan Trip offers a unique opportunity for strengthening mutual understanding and friendship as well as fostering cultural exchange and tourism promotion between ASEAN and China.

On April 12, at the Culture & Tourism Promotion Conference of Yunnan in Lijiang, Ambassador Djauhari Oratmangun highlighted that on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and China, the long-standing cultural and tourism cooperation between Indonesia and China has grown more fruitful. Through the trip, the Ambassador witnessed Yunnan’s efforts in environmental protection, intangible cultural heritage preservation and ethnic cultural development. He expressed confidence that Indonesia will continue to enhance the cooperation with Yunnan while ASEAN and China could cooperate more on sharing best practices in sustainable tourism management.

The delegation visited iconic sites such as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Glacier Park, Blue Moon Valley and Erhai Lake, admiring Yunnan’s breathtaking natural beauty and learning about Dali’s innovative practices in lake management and ecological restoration. Cultural highlights also included visits to the Three Pagoda Cultural Tourism Area of Chongsheng Temple, the Dongba Culture Research Institute, Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute, and Jishan Copper Art, where the diplomatic envoys experienced traditional crafts and copper-making by themselves. The delegation was impressed by Lijiang Ancient Town’s "Smart Town" initiatives, which leverage digital technology to optimize the visitors’ experience with heritage preservation.

“Discover China Cultural Tour” is a brand activity of the  Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China since 2021. Diplomatic envoys have been invited to explore China and tap on the opportunity to enhance future cooperation in cultural exchanges and tourism promotion.