Shanxi
The Jackson Hole-Wutai Mountain sister city relationship and Wyoming-Shanxi tourism exchange have grown out of several other sets of partnerships, developed over a series of exchanges starting in November 2003. Most of these visits have concluded with Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), outlining next steps.
Reducing carbon emissions from coal
The major focus of these visits has been a partnership between Wyoming and Shanxi – largest coal-producers in their respective countries – aimed at reducing carbon emissions from coal. Together with its partners in Shanxi province -- the Shanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission (Shanxi PDRC) and the Shanxi Foreign Affairs Office (Shanxi FAO) -- the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs (www.jhcga.org) has organized six such exchanges, each involving between 35 and 50 government officials, business leaders, and technical experts:
- November 2003, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- June 2004, Taiyuan, Shanxi province
- October 2004, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Morgantown, WV
- September 2006, Taiyuan, Shanxi province
- February 2009, Jincheng, Shanxi province
- October 2009, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Legislative process and rule of law
In the course of these exchanges, legislators in Shanxi province also expressed an interest in learning more about the legislative process in the U.S. JHCGA organized two exchanges at which legislators from both sides exchanged views on these issues:
- November 2006, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- March 2010, Cody, Wyoming
Tourism exchange and sister city relationship
Several of the visits to Taiyuan included side trips to nearby cultural sites, including the ancient walled city of Pingyao. Out of this interest grew a further set of exchanges, centering on the Jackson Hole/Wutai Mountain sister city relationship and a Wyoming-Shanxi partnership for the mutual promotion of tourism:
- December 2006, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- October 2007, Taiyuan, Wutai Mountain, Yingxian, Datong, and Pingyao
The Shanxi Provincial Tourism Administration (SPTA) and its partners, JHCGA, the Town of Jackson (www.ci.jackson.wy.us) and the Wyoming Tourism and Travel office of the Wyoming Business Council (www.wyomingofficeoftourism.gov), are now pursuing further steps in promoting cooperation in both these areas. These next steps are outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the partners in May 2008.
Wutai Shan: Mountain of the Five Peaks
Wutai Shan, or literally “Mountain of the Five Peaks,” is one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. It is located in Shanxi province, the 5,000 year-old cradle of Chinese civilization. Many other monasteries, temples, grottoes, and other cultural and historical sites reflecting this millennia-old history are also located throughout the province.
Each year, approximately three million Chinese Buddhists make the pilgrimage to Wutai Shan. There they worship side-by-side with many Tibetan Buddhists, in the only place in China where these two strains of Buddhism are collocated. In 2009, Wutai Shan was designated as a UNESCO World Historical Site, making it a worldwide cultural and historical destination as well.
In October 2007, a group of 18 community leaders from Jackson, Wyoming visited Wutai Shan at the invitation of the Shanxi provincial government. There they toured many of the site’s 53 monasteries and other ancient shrines and temples. At the close of the visit, Jackson’s mayor Mark Barron negotiated an initial Memorandum of Understanding with the Shanxi Provincial Tourism Administration (SPTA) to establish a sister city relationship between Wutai Shan and Jackson.
The Memorandum was formally approved by both governments in May 2008. A separate annex, signed by the Office of Tourism and Travel of the Wyoming Business Council, establishes the basis for a Shanxi-Wyoming partnership in the mutual promotion of tourism.
For more information, please visit www.chinawyomingpartners.com.
|
