Wei Jian: Yunnan railway relics remind me of Musée d’Orsay

Editor's Note:

This year marks the 110th anniversary of the opening of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, which witnessed the opening-up and progress of Yunnan province. At the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative, the international railway has grown into a hotspot for sightseeing, with diverse outdoor activities available. Ms. Wei Jian recently shared with us his view on the Yunnan-Vietnam railway. 

Wei Jian is a Chinese historian, educator and cultural celebrity, and she also serves as the deputy director of Yunnan Provincial Museum. “Relics should be part of tourism, and fusing culture into the design of tourist routes represents a trend for tourism development,” said Wei.

When it came to the cultural relics along the Yunnan-Vietnam railway, Wei said they reminded her of the study tour in France in July 2011. “I went to Paris for museology, and the Musée d’Orsay lies on the left bank of the Seine impressed me a lot,” recalled Wei. 

The French museum was converted from the Orly railway station, which was especially built for the world's fair in 1900. The French government turned the Orsay station into a museum in 1986. 

Speaking of the historical ties between France and Yunnan, Wei Jian said that the opening of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway in 1910 allowed folks in Yunnan see the charm of French architecture and western lifestyle for the first time, which had a far-reaching influence.

Nowadays, museums and relics along the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway are part of local tourism. Wei Jian added that in the culture-tourism integration, protection of cultural relics should be stepped up, and tourism brands of cultural relics are to be built up with international fame.

“We need more social participation in the protection of cultural relics, designing tourism cultural products that are welcomed by tourists and spreading the special Yunnan culture. In this, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway is invaluable."

Reporting by Wang Jingzhong (Yunnan Daily); trans-editing by Wang Shixue and Yuan Yingcen