[Beijing Diary] The Reason Why Xi Jinping Is Going to Ningxia

China's Wine Sanctuary... 'Magic Latitude' Golden Zone
Xi Jinping Visited Three Times During His Term Showing Interest
From a Representative Poverty Area to a 'Luxury Tourism' Hub

"Compared to when I worked in mining in the past, my income has drastically shrunk. However, I take pride in realizing the philosophy of 'Noksucheongsan Geumsaneunsan (綠水靑山 金山銀山·Clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets)' by operating not a mine that destroys the environment, but one that preserves it. When judging a person's life, I believe it is more important how much one realizes their own value rather than how much money they earn."

Recently visited Hedong Winery in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China. When asked about the income from running the winery, President Gongje unexpectedly shared a grand story and led the press group to the vineyard. Riding a six-car train that one might see in an amusement park, passing by a Mongolian ger-style restaurant and a train hotel, after about a three-minute ride, the view was filled with luscious grape clusters. These are 'Hundred-Year Vines (百年老藤)' grapes that have grown wild and are well over 100 years old. The exact grape variety is not even confirmed, but since the production volume is small, the high-priced wine made from these grapes sells for 80,000 yuan (about 15.19 million KRW) per 1500ml bottle.

Hedong Winery in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China. The winery's CEO, Gongje, is opening a wine made from naturally cultivated grapes. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

'Purple Gold' Drawn from the 'Magical Latitude'

The eastern foothills of Helan Mountain in Yinchuan are located at the 'magical latitude' of 38 degrees north, at an altitude of 1000 meters, similar to Bordeaux in France. With an abundant annual sunshine of 3000 hours, large temperature differences between day and night, and low annual rainfall of 200mm, this area is a golden zone for wine production. The soil, consisting of about 40% sand and gravel and 60% clay and limestone, is also optimal for grape cultivation.

Thanks to this natural environment, there are over 130 wineries operating locally in Ningxia, producing about 140 million bottles annually, which accounts for roughly 50% of China's total wine production. Ningxia wines are also gaining recognition for their quality. Last year, they won three gold medals at the Berlin Wine Grand Prix and set records with awards at over 60 international wine competitions.

Although there are countless wineries in the Ningxia region, each has distinct characteristics, making them highly valuable as tourist resources. Including four 4A-level tourist attractions, there are 14 A-level tourist spots. Not only the large-scale Hedong Winery spanning 3000 acres (about 12 km²), but also Shamu Winery, famous for its architect-designed detached villa accommodations by a Tsinghua University graduate, and Huahao, which is accelerating winery modernization as a third-generation family business, all cater to diverse tastes of tourists.

Recently, the local Chinese drama "Hometown of the Stars (星星的故?)" detailed how the wine industry here has become Ningxia's 'purple business card,' which has further increased the number of visitors. Last year, 3 million people toured the wineries, and according to Ctrip data, since the drama began airing in May, Ningxia winery tour bookings surged by 53% compared to the previous month.

Why Does President Xi Visit Ningxia So Frequently?

Ningxia is one of the regions that President Xi Jinping pays special attention to. Xi visited Ningxia three times during his term at four-year intervals?in 2016, 2020, and most recently in June this year. Prior to that, in 1997, when he was deputy secretary of Fujian Province, he toured Xihai District in southern Ningxia and remarked, "That place was truly poor. There was nothing valuable in the houses, and some families survived with only two or three pairs of pants for the whole household." In 2020, Ningxia was his first inspection site immediately after the Two Sessions (Lianghui?the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), China's largest political event.

It is speculated that Xi marked Ningxia as a 'special region' and visited multiple times because it embodies the form of growth he considers 'ideal.' According to Ningxia Statistics Bureau, from 2018 to 2022, Ningxia's GDP growth rate reached 6.8%. In the first half of this year, the GDP was 254.167 billion yuan, slightly over 0.4% of the national economy (61.6836 trillion yuan), but notably, the tertiary industry (124.697 billion yuan) outpaced the primary (about 11.019 billion yuan) and secondary (about 118.451 billion yuan) industries in added value.

Once sustained by mining and textiles, Ningxia's current greatest economic power comes from Yinchuan City, where wineries are concentrated (131.236 billion yuan, 51.63%). Xi himself contributed to this process. After his 1997 visit to Ningxia, he formed a leadership team in cooperation with Fujian Province, personally leading tailored poverty alleviation efforts.

Moreover, wine is a market that matures when a country's economy reaches a certain scale. Ningxia's rapid growth in the wine sector, to the extent that it is mentioned as a 'rising power' in a field dominated by Western countries, likely brings pride to President Xi. The wineries and nearby hotels observed were operated with high completeness and sophistication. In April last year, Xi presented a gift box containing six bottles of Ningxia-produced wine to French President Emmanuel Macron, who holds the throne of Old World wine, indicating confidence in the wine's quality.

Another distinguishing feature of Ningxia compared to other cities is that it is a place where the 'Noksucheongsan Geumsaneunsan' philosophy mentioned by President Gongje is being realized. This phrase symbolizes China's eco-friendly tourism industry ideals and is frequently mentioned by Xi when discussing carbon neutrality goals, making it well-known among the general Chinese public.

Finally, Ningxia also carries political significance as an 'ethnic minority autonomous region.' The Hui people make up 35% of the 7.3 million population in this autonomous region. It is a region requiring special management both internally and externally, yet it is growing independently through the economically viable wine industry. As the pockets grow fuller, concerns about public discontent lessen. From a leader's perspective, Ningxia is a city that cannot be unloved.