The first "one world one Shangri-La" rural tourism development forum opened on Oct 31 in Shangri-La, Yunnan province, with over 50 experts, academic scholars in the rural development field discussing how to move further along the rural development path.

The forum, organized by the Diqing Tibet autonomous prefecture government, invited Xu Fan, a member of the tourism committee of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to make an opening address.

Over 40 experts, including Liu Shouying, former deputy secretary general of the academic board of the Development Research Center of the State Council, were scheduled to speak on topics like "rural tourism development" and "ancient village protection and development".

Yunnan also invited domestic and overseas rural culture experts to visit local villages and choose the most beautiful.

The activity may ask for UN approval of setting a "World Village Cultural Day" to raise China's voice in international rural culture.

Over 50 rural culture experts and scholars attend the first "one world one Shangri-La" rural tourism development forum launched on Oct 31 in Yunnan province. [Photo/ynci.cn]