"Civil Picking-apart Meeting" held in Lijiang

June 8, 2012 saw the opening of "The 2nd Lijiang Ancient Town Civil Picking-apart Meeting" in Lijiang, an ancient town located in Yunnan province of China.

The event was jointly organized by the Protection and Management Bureau of Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang edition of Yunnan Info Daily and many other local media. It served as a platform on "how to better protect and manage the Lijiang Ancient Town" by fostering interactions between the civil society and the government.

Over 80 representatives including Lijiang natives and new resident, netizens, scholars and experts joined in to discuss the ancient town. It enabled the ancient town's management to have contact with local residents, business operators and netizens.

As one of the sponsors of the "picking-apart meeting", He Shiyong, director of the Protection and Management Bureau of Lijiang Ancient Town, said that wisdom comes from the civil society. The meeting will help authorities gain inspiration from grass-root organizations and the civil society to protect the old town of Lijiang.

During the meeting, netizen representatives put forth their ideas on sensitive issues such as the renovation of inns, the maintenance fees, the native cultural protection, law enforcement, environment and health, security issues, food sanitation, and safety.

Yang Jiayu from the Lijiang Ancient Town Management Co Ltd said, "We hope that through this activity the civil society and the government will work together to protect the ancient town and strengthen a sense of responsibility. As the picking-apart meeting proceeded, as many as 100,000 netizens paid attention to the event through the Internet."

The picking-apart meeting has brought many suggestions on the protection and management of the town, said the general manager of the Lijiang Ancient Town Management Co Ltd. These suggestions serve as good references for the local government. Similar activities will be held in the future to improve the protection and management of the old town of Lijiang.