Category: Tourism

The park recorded 8,919 paying visitors during the quarter, with average visitor spending reaching US$108 per person.

Revenue was driven by tourism and hospitality activities, including park entry fees, guiding services, accommodation-related income, concession fees and fisheries.

The improved financial performance contributed to progress towards self-sustainability, with Akagera’s sustainability ratio rising from 76 per cent in April to 104 per cent in June, strengthening the park’s ability to fund conservation activities and community programmes.

The quarter also saw the official opening of SALT of Akagera, a new eco-luxury lodge operated by The Lux Collective.

The 60-room facility, overlooking Lake Ihema, replaced Akagera Game Lodge, which had been managed by Mantis Collection since 2017. The launch marked The Lux Collective’s entry into Rwanda and forms part of its wider tourism expansion plans in the country.

Wildlife conservation recorded notable achievements during the period, including the birth of three rhino calves; one black rhino and two white rhinos. The park said the births indicate that its rhino population continues to adapt well and reproduce successfully.

Rhino monitoring teams recorded more than 2,600 white rhino sightings and over 400 black rhino sightings through daily foot and aerial patrols.

At the same time, law enforcement teams conducted nearly 1,600 patrols covering about 35,000 kilometres, with no animals lost to poaching during the quarter.
Rangers also removed 12 snares and arrested five illegal fishermen.

Akagera continued investing in neighbouring communities, with local cooperatives generating US$226,263 in income through activities such as fishing, beekeeping, guiding, community centre operations and construction work.

An additional US$229,374 entered surrounding communities through local procurement, bringing the total economic benefit to approximately US$455,637.

Community development initiatives included training for teachers, cooperative members, beekeepers, fishers and vocational learners.

More than 31,000 people were reached through environmental education and outreach activities, while the Akagera Lion Cup tournament brought together communities bordering the park, attracting more than 24,000 spectators across 13 matches.

As the dry season began, the park intensified fire management efforts, clearing more than 52 kilometres of firebreaks along the fence line and around key infrastructure to reduce wildfire risks and support vegetation regeneration.

The park also expanded its conservation research efforts. A June elephant survey identified six new individuals, bringing the elephant database to 115 known elephants, while 85 camera traps across 57 locations were deployed to monitor large carnivores, including lions, leopards and hyenas.

Staff capacity building remained a priority, with ranger refresher training, GIS training involving teams from Akagera, Nyungwe and Gambella National Parks, and knowledge exchanges focused on strengthening conservation skills.

Today, this evolution is most vividly reflected in its cities, and few capture that story better than Shanghai.

Set along China’s eastern coastline, Shanghai rises as a symbol of the nation’s modern ambition and global connectivity. It is a city where history is not left behind, but rather built into the foundations of progress, where ancient waterways, colonial-era streets, and futuristic skylines converge into one living landscape of change.

Shanghai stands today as one of China’s most influential and dynamic cities, defined by transformation, ambition, and international reach. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, it spans 6,340.5 square kilometres and is home to nearly 25 million people. Positioned at the heart of the Yangtze River Delta and facing the Pacific Ocean, the city serves as a vital gateway linking China’s vast interior with global markets.

Often referred to as the “Dragon Head” of the Yangtze River, Shanghai plays a leading role in the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt. Its strategic position and economic weight have earned it designation as an international centre for economy, finance, trade, shipping, and technological innovation, collectively known as the “Five Centers.”

By 2019, Shanghai’s GDP had reached approximately 524.02 billion US dollars, with a per capita income of about 20,398 US dollars.

During the same period, more than 720 multinational companies had established headquarters in the city, alongside over 460 research and development institutions, reinforcing its position as a global hub for business and innovation.

A defining chapter in Shanghai’s modern story is the Pudong New Area. In 1990, when China launched its development and opening-up policies there, Pudong was largely composed of farmland and low-rise industrial buildings.

In just over three decades, it has been transformed into one of the world’s most recognizable urban skylines.

By 2025, Pudong’s GDP had reached 1.88 trillion yuan (approximately 276.9 billion US dollars), accounting for about one-third of Shanghai’s total economy.

It now hosts around 60 percent of the city’s licensed financial institutions and nearly half of the regional headquarters of multinational corporations.

Its foreign trade volume reached 2.76 trillion yuan (approximately $406.5 billion USD) , while key industries such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence expanded to a combined scale of about 970 billion yuan (about $142.87 billion USD).

At the heart of this transformation lies the Lujiazui Financial District, home to Shanghai’s iconic skyline and its famous trio of skyscrapers known as the “Three-Piece Set.” These buildings represent not just architectural achievement, but the story of a city evolving across decades.

The Jin Mao Tower, completed in 1999 and rising 420.5 metres, reflects the early phase of modern development in Pudong. Inspired by traditional Chinese pagoda design, it blends cultural heritage with modern engineering.

Nearby stands the Shanghai World Financial Centre, completed in 2008 and reaching 492 metres. Its distinctive trapezoidal opening near the top, resembling a bottle opener, symbolizes openness and Shanghai’s growing role in global finance.

Towering above them is the Shanghai Tower, completed in 2016. At 632 metres, it is the tallest building in China and the third tallest in the world. Its spiralling glass façade reduces wind pressure while symbolizing innovation and sustainability.

Inside, it functions as a vertical city, combining offices, hotels, retail spaces, and observation decks. High-speed elevators carry visitors to the “Top of Shanghai” observatory on the 118th floor in just 55 seconds.

Yet Shanghai’s identity is not defined by skyscrapers alone. The city is shaped by its waterways, including the Yangtze River, Huangpu River, and Suzhou Creek. The Huangpu River divides Shanghai into two contrasting yet connected worlds: Puxi in the west and Pudong in the east.

On the Puxi side, the historic Bund preserves a skyline of colonial-era buildings that reflect Shanghai’s trading past and early international influence. Across the river, Pudong rises as a symbol of modern China; bold, futuristic, and ever-evolving.

Historical influences from the 19th-century Opium War era, including British and French concessions, left a lasting architectural imprint on the city.

European-style buildings still stand in parts of Shanghai today, blending into its wider urban identity and offering a reminder of its complex historical journey.

One of the most powerful ways to experience Shanghai is along the Huangpu waterfront, where sweeping views capture both the Bund’s historic architecture and the towering skyline of Lujiazui in a single frame. It is a rare visual dialogue between centuries, where heritage and innovation exist side by side.

Beyond the modern metropolis lies Zhujiajiao, a beautifully preserved water town that offers a quieter reflection of Shanghai’s past. Known for its ancient stone bridges, narrow canals, traditional houses, and artisan shops, it preserves the atmosphere of Jiangnan culture. At night, lantern-lit reflections shimmer across the water, while visitors explore tea culture, handmade crafts, and local traditions passed down through generations.

Today, Shanghai stands as a global metropolis defined by openness, resilience, and continuous reinvention. From its ancient river towns and historic waterfronts to its soaring modern skyline, the city tells a powerful story of transformation—one where tradition is not replaced by progress, but carried forward as part of it.

Yet behind this calm landscape lies one of China’s most remarkable development transformations, often described as a living model of ecological civilisation.

Yucun is a small village of just over 1,000 residents, covering 4.86 square kilometres, located in Zhejiang Province, one of China’s most dynamic coastal regions.

Zhejiang itself is an economic powerhouse of the Yangtze River Delta, with a 2025 GDP of about 9.45 trillion yuan ( approximately 1.4 trillion USD), and has become a national leader in “high-quality development,” where growth is measured not only in economic output but also in environmental sustainability and social wellbeing.

Walking through Yucun today, it is difficult to imagine that this landscape was once shaped by heavy limestone mining and cement production. In the late 1990s, the village’s economy was strong by rural standards, but the environment was under severe strain; dust-filled air, scarred hillsides, and degraded ecosystems.

The turning point came in the early 2000s, when local leaders and residents made a decisive choice: to close polluting industries and restore the land. It was a moment that reshaped not only the village’s economy, but its identity.

A defining milestone followed on August 15, 2005, when President Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, visited Yucun and for the first time and articulated a phrase that would later gain national significance: “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

This idea evolved into the “Two Mountains” philosophy, now widely recognised as a foundation of China’s ecological civilisation framework under the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In Yucun, it is not an abstract theory, it is visible in every restored hillside, every green pathway, and every redesigned public space.

As the village stepped away from mining, a new journey began. Abandoned industrial sites were rehabilitated, forests were replanted, and traditional rural landscapes were carefully preserved.

Today, Yucun attracts over one million visitors annually, drawn by bamboo sea landscapes, ecological trails, and cultural experiences rooted in Jiangnan traditions.

One of its most striking landmarks is the transformation of a former cement factory into “Yucun Impression,” a zero-carbon cultural complex powered by renewable energy and designed as a symbol of industrial rebirth.

The ecological recovery is striking. Forest coverage now exceeds 85 percent, the climate remains humid and subtropical, and the village integrates natural terrain with carefully designed infrastructure.

Ancient ginkgo trees, some believed to be over 1,300 years old, stand alongside modern eco-friendly buildings, an unusual but seamless coexistence of heritage and innovation.

Over time, Yucun’s economy has shifted from extraction to experience. Agritainment businesses, eco-tourism services, and cultural industries now drive local income.

Collective village earnings have risen steadily into the tens of millions of yuan, while per capita income has surpassed 60,000 yuan (about 8,837.69 USD).

In 2024, villagers received direct dividend distributions, reinforcing a model of shared prosperity where development outcomes are visibly returned to the community.

This transformation has earned Yucun multiple national and international recognitions. It has been designated a National Civilised Village, a National Forest Village, a National Rural Tourism Key Village, and a National Rural Governance Demonstration Village.

It has also been listed among the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s Best Tourism Villages, underscoring its global relevance as a rural development model.

Beyond its scenic and economic appeal, Yucun is increasingly viewed as a policy reference point. It demonstrates how environmental restoration can become a driver of economic growth rather than a constraint, and how rural governance can align local participation with broader provincial and national strategies.

Within Zhejiang’s development framework, the village is often cited as a successful case of integrating ecological protection with rural revitalisation.

Zhejiang Province itself extends this philosophy into global engagement. As a key hub of China-Africa cooperation, the province recorded trade with Africa of 53.9 billion US dollars in 2023, expanding into manufacturing, digital economy, vocational training, and healthcare exchanges.

Thousands of African professionals have been trained in Zhejiang, while medical teams have supported healthcare services across multiple African countries. These partnerships reflect a broader emphasis on mutual learning and long-term cooperation.

Seen through this broader lens, Yucun becomes more than a rural destination; it becomes a starting point for understanding a development philosophy that suggests prosperity should not be built against nature, but alongside it.

July 1 also holds special significance for Rwanda, as it is celebrated as Independence Day. While the two countries have different histories, both have travelled remarkable paths of resilience, recovery, and development.

Over the decades, China and Rwanda have each overcome immense challenges to build and develop their nations, a shared spirit that continues to underpin the growing friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.

It is against this backdrop that Nanhu Lake takes on a deeper meaning. Widely known for its calm waters, cultural beauty, and rich heritage, the lake is also home to one of the most important sites in modern Chinese history—the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall, where visitors can retrace the origins of a movement that would go on to shape the course of a nation.

The memorial hall stands as a key site for understanding the early history of the Communist Party of China, especially its founding period in 1921. It is here, beside Nanhu Lake, that history is preserved and retold in a way that connects past political ideas with present national identity. For many visitors, the site is not just a museum, but a place where the origins of CPC philosophy and political thought are remembered and reflected upon.

Nanhu Lake itself is among the most well-known lakes in eastern China. Alongside West Lake in Hangzhou and Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing, it forms part of the cultural and historical landscape of the Yangtze River region. Its natural beauty, shaped over centuries, has long attracted attention, but its modern significance is closely tied to the revolutionary events that unfolded in Jiaxing more than a century ago.

The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall was established in 1959 and later expanded in 2011 to preserve and present this history in greater depth. Today, it spans more than 19,000 square meters and contains over 10,000 historical artifacts, including documents, photographs, artworks, and rare revolutionary materials connected to the early development of the CPC.

The exhibitions inside the hall trace the formation of the Communist Party of China from its early beginnings under difficult social and political conditions to its gradual development into a major political organization. The displays are arranged to guide visitors through different historical stages, combining physical relics with modern storytelling techniques such as visual projections and immersive presentations.

At the heart of the memorial’s historical narrative is the idea that Nanhu played a symbolic role in the shaping of early CPC ideology.

While the Party was officially founded during its First National Congress in 1921, Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing became the place where the meeting concluded after being relocated from Shanghai due to external disruptions. This moment is widely remembered as a defining chapter in the Party’s early history.

A short walk from the exhibition area leads to the lakeside, where the famous Red Boat is anchored near Yanyu Tower. The boat is a carefully preserved replica built in 1959, modeled after the vessel that became central to the concluding moments of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1921.

Historical accounts show that the First National Congress was initially held in Shanghai, but it was interrupted by French police during the final stages of the meeting. In response to the disruption, the meeting was relocated to Jiaxing, a move made possible through the assistance of Wang Huiwu, who helped arrange the transfer of delegates and ensured the continuation of the congress. The final discussions were completed on a boat on Nanhu Lake, an event that later became one of the most symbolic moments in CPC history.

Among the delegates involved was Dong Biwu, one of the 13 representatives who attended the founding congress. His accounts, along with historical records, helped verify and preserve the memory of how the meeting concluded on the Red Boat.

Today, the replica Red Boat is carefully maintained using traditional methods and remains one of the most visited landmarks in the memorial area, symbolizing the birthplace of the CPC’s concluding declaration.

The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall now welcomes more than one million visitors each year. During peak holidays, visitor numbers rise significantly, with families and young people forming a large share of those who come to explore the site. Many visit not only for tourism but also to understand the historical roots of the CPC and its development over time.

Curators at the memorial emphasize that the purpose of the site is educational as much as it is historical. Over the years, the museum has expanded its exhibitions and introduced modern display techniques to make history more accessible. This includes interactive visuals and structured storytelling designed to engage younger generations while preserving the authenticity of historical materials.

Beyond being a museum, Nanhu blends natural scenery with political history, reflecting both Jiaxing’s beauty and the enduring memory of the early days of the Communist Party of China.

As I leave the lakeside on this special date, China’s Party anniversary and my own country’s Independence Day, I carry with me a subtle lesson: that nations, like boats, are steered by the resolve of those who board them in times of uncertainty. And that memory, whether preserved in a museum or carried in people’s heart, is the anchor of every lasting journey.