"The Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway, which connects the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and the Central Plains urban cluster, will further coordinate the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.

"As a 'golden corridor' for culture and tourism, it will open a new chapter of the high-quality development of the culture and tourism in central and western China," said Liu Qi, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee and Director of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development.

The majestic Yangtze River, he said, is like an evolving history of civilization. China has started the construction of the national parks with Yangtze River culture as its theme, representing an effort to catalyze cultural prosperity and development in the new era. The Yangtze River runs through the whole territory of Chongqing. The Chongqing section of the Yangtze River is 691 km long, accounting for nearly 11% of the total length of the Yangtze River.

The leading group for constructing national parks with Yangtze River culture as their theme should take the lead in blazing a new path for the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the Yangtze River culture in the new era. Chongqing and other key construction areas should speed up the construction progress, serve as a pioneer, accumulate successful experiences that can be replicated and promoted, and set examples for constructing the national parks with Yangtze River culture as their theme.

Nourished by the everlasting Yangtze River culture, Chongqing is hailed as the world's largest inland city with mountains and rivers and a city renowned for history and culture. Chongqing features abundant and diverse cultures, including the time-honored Bayu culture, the world-renowned Three Gorges culture, the inspiring culture of the War of Resistance, the everlasting revolutionary culture, the distinctive united front culture, and the heart-warming immigration culture. Chongqing has one world cultural heritage site and three world natural heritage sites. It is home to 25,900 immovable cultural relics, 64 under state protection and 372 under the municipal protection. With ten national 5A-level scenic areas, Chongqing is known for its natural wonders, such as the Three Gorges, Bashan Mountain, Wuling Mountain, Yangtze River, Jialing River, and Wujiang River.

In recent years, Chongqing has strengthened the protection and inheritance of historical culture and fully used cultural resources and relics. Its 122 registered museums constitute a national first-class public service system of Three Gorges cultural relics museums. Aiming to ensure the protection and utilization of revolutionary resources, Chongqing has implemented over 50 key projects like the construction of Hongyan Park. Thanks to its efforts to propel the in-depth integration of culture and tourism, Chongqing has been listed as the fastest-growing tourism city in the City Travel & Tourism Impact 2018 report released by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

"The opening of the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway will help more tourists save time on transportation and boost the high-quality development of Chongqing's culture and tourism." Liu Qi said that the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development would intensify its efforts to protect, inherit, and utilize historical culture and the publicity of cultural brands. It will also further facilitate the integrated development of culture and tourism and involve more tourists in the campaign "A Tour in Chongqing, A Gain in Vision." Efforts will be doubled to enhance the publicity of culture and tourism, especially for cities along the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway. By doing so, Chongqing will innovate in the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the Yangtze River culture in the new era, construct "A Land of Natural Beauty, A City with Cultural Appeal," and build a pilot demonstration area for national parks with Yangtze River culture as their theme.