Qingyan Ancient Town and Malaysia's Jonker Walk forge partnership

A signing ceremony for the friendly historical and cultural district partnership between Qingyan Ancient Town in Guiyang and Jonker Walk in Melaka, Malaysia, was held on July 30 at Qingyan Ancient Town.

Qingyan Ancient Town in Guiyang's Huaxi district is the city's only national 5A-level scenic area. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Jonker Walk, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has taken root in Southeast Asia for centuries, preserving folk customs, ancestral temples, culinary traditions, and the festive cultures of overseas Chinese.

Through its dynamic approach to heritage district revitalization, the street has continuously expanded the global influence of Chinese culture and stands as a benchmark for the inheritance of overseas Chinese culture across Southeast Asia.

Qingyan Ancient Town in Guiyang's Huaxi district is the city's only national 5A-level scenic area and a nationally recognized historical and cultural town. It embodies Tunpu culture in Southwest China and the intangible cultural heritage of multiple ethnic groups, with well-established systems in ancient town operations, rural cultural tourism, and cultural product development.

The two historic districts share common cultural roots and compatible development trajectories, with their partnership expected to build a new bridge of mutual learning between Guizhou and Melaka, strengthening cultural bonds across thousands of miles.

Qingyan Ancient Town and Jonker Walk will utilize culture as a medium to deepen collaborative tourism promotion, roll out reciprocal tour itineraries, build mutual tourism outreach channels, and facilitate exchanges for business visitors and tourists.

A cross-border cultural tourism product combining "ancient town in Southwest China + Southeast Asian old street" will be developed to expand a shared tourism consumer market.

The two sides will increase trade and industrial connectivity by establishing exhibition, sales, and business-matching platforms, as well as cross-border distribution channels for specialty products.

They will also jointly build a cultural development framework, exchanging expertise in historical district revitalization and exploring balanced approaches to historic preservation and commercial development.

A new media collaboration initiative will amplify their shared storytelling, reaching audiences across Southwest China and Southeast Asia and further elevating their international profiles.