Chongqing- For China's Two Sessions this year, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Chongqing and Sichuan jointly submitted a proposal, calling for the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor's construction at the national level. 

Bashu is a region associated with modern-day Chongqing and Sichuan, named after the ancient Chinese states of Ba and Shu during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. 

When it comes to the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, promoting the construction of the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor is one of the country's initiatives to lead the high-quality development of regional cultural tourism. 

Current progress 

Members of the CPPCC National Committee from Sichuan and Chongqing believe that the construction of the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor promotes the coordinated development of regional tourism and enhances the overall competitiveness of cultural tourism in the Bashu region.  

Furthermore, it is a pivotal contributor to the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, driving to build a national high-quality living place, international consumption center, and world-class leisure and tourism destination. 

Over the past two years, Sichuan and Chongqing have signed 63 strategic cooperation agreements, including 11 cooperation alliances established. There are 107 major tasks and 200 key cultural relic conversation projects with a total investment of 5.67 billion yuan. 

Top-level planning and policy support 

Relevant members of the CPPCC National Committee learned that a series of difficulties now affect the construction of the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor during the investigation and research. 

Therefore, they immediately recommend strengthening the top-level planning and policy support from the national level for the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor. 

Liu Qi, Director of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, is one of the members of the CPPCC National Committee who has been working on the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor for many years. 

"Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor belongs not only to Sichuan and Chongqing but also to the world," he said.

"In the future, we can make efforts to enhance the international visibility of Bashu culture and tourism brands and further increase the investment in public culture and tourism services," he added. 

In conclusion, the members of the CPPCC National Committee from Sichuan and Chongqing proposed the government do top-level planning and provide beneficial policies to establish a diversified cultural and tourism industry in Sichuan-Chongqing.

For example, a national cultural and financial cooperation demonstration zone could be created in two places. 

Sichuan and Chongqing need to carry out pilot cultural tourism land reform. The major cultural tourism projects should be included in the spatial planning of the country. 

Equally importantly, the government has to offer financial incentives to the crucial projects' construction. 

For instance, Sichuan and Chongqing could build national-level intangible cultural heritage museums, digital cultural relics innovation, and application pilot zones, with the aim to build digital cultural industry clusters in two places. 

Creating a number of national 5A-level scenic spots, national-level tourist resorts, tourism, and leisure blocks, could also be possible ways to push for the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor. 

A series of important events and festivals is another accessible measure to promote cultural cooperation between Sichuan and Chongqing. Western China Tourism Industry Expo, Sichuan Opera Festival, Bashu Chorus Festival are some of the most popular.