Category: China PR

Destination Mekong Announces Third Mekong Hero

DESTINATION MEKONG ANNOUNCED THIRD MEKONG HERO

7 December2023, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Destination Mekong has announced that Brian Linden, the founder and owner of the Linden Centre in Dali, Yunnan, is the third Mekong Hero.

Mekong Heroes are individuals who make a significant impact on the people in the region by inspiring them to strive and make an impact to improve communities through sustainability, inclusiveness and providing opportunities for the future.

During the 2023 Destination Mekong Summit in Phnom Penh, Destination Mekong has announced its third Mekong Hero, Brian Linden, founder and owner of the Linden Centre in Dali, Yunnan, China. Brian follows Potjana Suansri, Founder of the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I), and the late Srey Bandaul, founder of PHARE in Cambodia, the two previous Mekong Heroes.

Born and raised in Chicago and educated at Johns Hopkins and Stanford University, Brian was granted a scholarship to study in Beijing in 1984 and spent the following three years in China. He moved to Dali in 2004 with his wife and two sons. There, he preserved a nationally protected Bai-style courtyard house built in 1948. He converted this into The Linden Centre to create a sustainable model of tourism development and heritage preservation.

Now, the Linden Centre has six sites, each focusing on preserving existing historical traditions by incorporating the villagers in the planning and managing heritage hotels.

Brian’s approach is to show the benefits of heritage protection and sustainability through example. He inspires his communities to preserve their heritage and reevaluate their sustainability approach. Through this bottom-up approach, the Linden Centre demonstrates how a social business can be financially sustainable and resilient, as well as helping the government recognize the social benefits for locals.

The integration with locals and communities is stressed at the Linden Centre.

“Development has to happen organically from within the community,” says Linden. “It is important to instill pride in the locals for their heritage and community, to increase the emotional value and counterbalance the potential value received from outside investors, who might change a community for the worse.”

“Brian exemplifies how individuals who have a passion for collaboration, preservation, and sustainability make communities better through tourism,” says Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong. “After Potjana Suansri and Srey Bandaul, Brian Linden is the continuation of telling the stories of inspirational individuals in the region. We want to congratulate Brian and the entire team at The Linden Centre for their wonderful and important work.”

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as this year’s Mekong Hero by the Board of Destination Mekong, especially since this is a recognition by the entire Mekong Region’s private sector, ” said Mr. Linden.

Mekong Heros are nominated by the public on the Destination Mekong website, evaluated, and then voted on by the executive board of Destination Mekong. They are an extension of the Mekong Faces program, which tells inspiring stories of individuals in the tourism sector. Both are published annually in the Mekong Stories book at MekongStories.com.

To nominate individuals to be recognized as Mekong Heroes, go to https://www.destinationmekong.com/mekong-heroes/. To be part of our engaged tourism community and enjoy the benefits and opportunities offered by Destination Mekong, go to https://www.destinationmekong.com/membership/ or contact us at info@destinationmekong.com.

-ENDS

Yangshuo Mountain Retreat

Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (YMR) has been widely recognised by a number of international travel magazines as one of the ‘must visit’ hotels on earth. Situated on the banks of the Yulong River in Yangshuo county, near Guilin city of China, the lodge develops a strong business model that focusses on sustainable tourism, cultural conservation and community development. Through the beauty of surroundings, the place offers high quality of customer services, and sustainable business practices that have a positive impact to environments and local communities.

Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase Mahidol University PR China Yangzhuo Yangzhuo Mountain Retreat Yunnan

The Linden Centre

Floating above the pristine rice and canola fields north of
the old town of Dali is a beautiful courtyard compound
built in 1947 by a wealthy entrepreneur from the Bai ethnic
group named Yang Pinxiang. Over seven decades, the
building, which is located in the historic Xizhou Village,
went through many changes, from being privately owned
to becoming public property after the Cultural Revolution
and land reforms, and from serving as an army barracks
and military hospital to housing a kindergarten. In 2001, it
was designated as a national heritage site. The courtyard
finely captures the exquisite architectural style of the Bai
ethnic group that predominantly lives in the area. This
compound is now a boutique hotel managed and run by
an American couple, Brian and Jeanee Linden, who have
injected new life and respect into this important heritage
site.

Dali Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase Mahidol University The Linden Centre The Linden Commons Xizhou Village Yunnan

Case Study Longji Rice Terraces

The Longji rice terraces have a long history since the beginning of the construction during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and it was completed in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with a constructing history of over 800 years. The fascinating rice terraces cover 66 square kilometres of the Longsheng county’s mountain, with the altitude from 300 meters to 1100 metres (Travel China Guide, n.d.). Longji rice terraces have been listed as one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

China Dong Ethnic People Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase GIAHS Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems GUangxi Han Ethnic People Mahidol University Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office Miao Ethnic People Stakeholder Engagement Tourism Infrastructure Yao Ethnic People Zhuang Ethnic People

TEA CHAIN USES LIVE STREAMING AND INFLUENCER TO LAUNCH LINE DURING COVID-19

The livestream on Taobao sold nearly 3,000 sets in the first second, and more than 10,000 units by the end of the broadcast

Cinyee Chiu Naixue Springwise Taobao Zhang Dayi

COVID-19 fosters self-service innovation in China

While the coronavirus pandemic has hammered business activity worldwide, it has also fostered a wealth of self-service innovation. Nowhere is this more evident than in China, where the virus began, according to China VMF Expo, which organizes the country’s largest vending convention.

Several self-service technologies have been adopted over the past three months in China to help to fight the virus, according to a press release.

Alibaba Country Garden Huoshenshan Hospital Meituan Topow Vending Machines Vending Times Xuzhou ZHongbai

We’ve had Athleisure. Is Homeleisure China’s Next Big Thing?

Two months of quarantine have fostered a strong stay-inside culture, especially among the millennial population who were once living their entire lives outside by strolling malls and eating out. While this sounds like bad news for most luxury and fashion players, one very specific outfit has infiltrated all corners of young, affluent Chinese’ recent wardrobe: the homeleisure wear.

#WorkFromHome Dodococo Homeism Jing Daily Neiwai Vogue China

China’s Tourist Sites Draw Virtual Crowds, Real Cash

On March 1, the Potala Palace in Lhasa welcomed a record-breaking 1 million-plus tourists. But all of these “visitors” to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tibet arrived via their smartphones.

Alibaba Chengdu Panda Base COVID-19 Great Wall Libaba Live Mogao Grottoes Palace Museum Beijing Potala Palace Sixth Tone Taobao Live Tsinghua University UNESCO World Heritage Site

Coronavirus AI helmet in China

China has been gradually recovering from the high mortality rates of COVID-19, with lockdowns and travel bans being lifted across its cities.

To continue monitoring the virus, epidemic prevention and control officers have been equipped with next level “smart helmets” that can detect potential patients without them even needing to get close – something straight out of a sci-fi movie like Robo-Cop!

COVID-19 The Smart Local