Plaque Unveiling Ceremony  

　　 Today's Huadu News: The plaque unveiling ceremony for the establishment of a China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base was held in the Flower Town, Luochang Village, Huashan Town of Huadu District. Presented at the event are Li Jing, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group and Chair of Guangdong Province Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Shao Jin, Vice Chair of Guangdong Province Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Li Xiaomian, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Congress, Bian Yong, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group and Chair of Guangzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Xing Xiang, Deputy Secretary of CPC Huadu District Committee and District Mayor, Li Bo, member of the Standing Committee of CPC Huadu District Committee and head of the United Front Department, relevant persons in charge of Huadu District Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and members of CPC Huashan Town Committee.

　　 The 100-year-old Diaolou buildings in Luochang Village are truly unique

　　 A group of century old Diaolou buildings, unique embodiment of Lingnan history and folk features, can be found in Luochang Village of Huashan Town, a famous ancestral home of overseas Chinese. In 2013, drawing on the profound overseas Chinese cultural heritage and convenient geographical advantages of Luochang Village, Huashan Town government began and active quest to attract social forces to develop the project of Flower Town Cultural and Creative Park. The development of Huashan Town, which not only preserves and carries forward the history and culture of ancient villages, but also builds a platform for the creation and exchange of overseas Chinese culture, has turned the small town into a poster boy for Huadu’s cultural tourism.

　　 In recent years, the protection of overseas Chinese Diaolou buildings and the development of Huashan Town have received great attention and strong support from the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, federations of returned overseas Chinese at the province and city level, and CPC Committee and government of Huadu District. As early as in July 2018, the District government office issued the "Work Plan for Huashan Town Construction (2018-2022)", giving additional thrust to the sustainable development of Huashan Town. Leaders of the AFROC, and provincial and city federations of returned overseas Chinese has made multiple field researches and visits in the Flower Town, and they fully recognized the efforts and achievements of District and town federations of returned overseas in the protection, and creative utilization of the Diaolou buildings in Luochang Village.

　　 As a result of efforts of all interested parties,the Flower Town was included in the list of 65 institutions and organizations announced by the AFROC as the 7thbatch of "China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Bases"in Sept., 2019, making it the first of this kind in Guangzhou, and an important window to showcase excellent Chinese culture and a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. According to the District Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the Flower Town will be given full play in the future, leveraging on its platform role and resource advantages as a "China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base"; it will be used as an important vehicle for overseas Chinese cultural activities and exchanges, to further explore and make good use of Huadu's excellent culture resources, actively organize returned overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese to carry out a variety of cultural exchange activities, spread overseas Chinese culture, tell a good story of Huadu, and make new contribution in promoting world cultural exchanges.

　　 Huashan Town has becomes a must-see place for tourists

　　 Huashan, a town located in the eastern part of the District, is an important ancestral home of overseas Chinese in Guangdong Province and Guangzhou. There are more than 80,000 Huashan natives living overseas, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. The town is home to more than 60 overseas Chinese Diaolou buildings, accounting for more than 90% of the total number of the District. The most famous of such buildings is the century old Diaolou cluster in Luochang Village, where nearly 50 still exist. They are unique embodiment of the history and folk features of Huadu. The develop and construct of the Flower Town Cultural and Creative Park serves a twofold purpose: firstly, to actively contact with overseas Chinese and win their support to repair, protect and use the ancient Diaolou buildings, and secondly, to attract social funds and capable cultural management enterprises to make cultural and creative development of the Diaolou buildings and ancient houses in an appropriate extent. It has been proved that they made the right choice, with promising results manifesting by the day. Several years into the development of the project, the activation of overseas Chinese Diaolou, the inheritance of overseas Chinese culture and the stimulation of rural development have demonstrated positive integration.

　　 Apart from the support of the AFROC, federations of returned overseas Chinese at the province and city level, CPC Committee and government of Huadu District, Huadu Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Huashan Town and other relevant departments, the revival of Flower Town project will also be impossible without the unwavering care and support of those enthusiastic people who have always attached importance to the protection and inheritance of history and culture. Mr. Tan Guangnuo, an overseas Chinese living in the United States and the person in charge of the Flower Town project, has been working hard in recent years in every aspect of the project, from renting Diaolou buildings, blue brick houses and mud-brick houses from villagers, making overall development plan of ancient village, to repairing and protecting Diaolou and other ancient buildings. In order to maintain the original idea of the Flower Town and to stay true to position and character of a beautiful village, in choosing operating merchants, great attention has been paid to their ability to repair and manage ancient buildings, their love of the history and culture of ancient buildings, and their awareness of development and innovation. Renovation and decoration of Diaolou and other ancient buildings place great priority to protecting their original appearance and structure, so that the history and culture of the ancient villages can be preserved and passed on.

　　 经过多年的建设发展,如今花山小镇已名声在外,并成为越来越多游客的旅游打卡地。2016年,花山小镇获颁十大“广州乡村旅游示范点”称号,被评为“珠三角最美乡村”,也是“广州美丽乡村游”精品线路的旅游景点。而此次被中国侨联确认为第七批“中国华侨国际文化交流基地”,将让花山小镇锦上添花,也为推进花山小镇未来实现新发展注入了更大的驱动力。

　　 After years of construction and development, the Flower Town has now become a famous place attracting tourists in growing numbers. In 2016, the Flower Town was recognized as one of the ten "Guangzhou Rural Tourism Demonstration Spots", praised as the "Most Beautiful Village in the Pearl River Delta", and included as a tourist attraction in boutique routes of "Guangzhou Beautiful Country Tour". Being included in the 7thbath of China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base by the AFROC is really icing on the cake for the Flower Town, which will give additional thrust for its future development.