HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA: In a move geared to promote Uganda’s tourism, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has launched a Uganda culture park in China.
Located at Shaping Street, Kaifu District in Hunan Province in China, the forested park sits on 40 hectares of land. The park, which is surrounded by water bodies, features sculptured art pieces of Ugandan wildlife such as chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, lions, and a variety of wild game.
“We regard this park as the door to Africa and a window for Chinese to discover Uganda,” said Bob Wang the proprietor of the facility adding, “We plan to expand and build an exhibition room showing Ugandan products and crafts, its history, culture and paintings. In future we would like to have an animal park with real animals, the kind you would find in Uganda.”
Kadaga observed that with the park already patronized by many Chinese and their families, the park presents an excellent opportunity to sell Uganda.
“I have found many Chinese families here and by seeing the animals, they also get a very good picture of our tourism protentional. Not many people know about Uganda and this is a very powerful way of marketing the country,” the Speaker said.
Kadaga expressed her gratitude to the proprietor, Bob Wang, and to the Government of China, and in particular Hanan Province, for creating opportunities to market Uganda. She said the cultural park is a great opportunity to enhance collaboration between the two countries.
“I have been complaining that people don’t know much about Uganda. But now Uganda has come here through Mr. Wang and his team. I want to encourage the people of China, not to only touch the art pieces that are here, but to come to Uganda and have a feel of the real wildlife,” Kadaga said.
“For the people of Hunan Province, we have a special relationship with you. Two weeks ago, the Governor of Hunan Province was in Uganda. We signed agreements on agriculture, investments and trade, and I am happy that we have already started on tourism,” she added.
Last month, Uganda and China’s Hunan Province, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Investment and Trade Cooperation. China’s delegation was led by the Hunan Province Governor, Xu Dazhe who met the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni with whom they discussed priority areas for investment.
The MoU with China highlighted priority sectors for investment for example agriculture, mining, energy, tourism and industrialization.
In a meeting with Nancy Guo, the Assistant to the Governor Hunan Province, the Speaker proposed the need to train Ugandans in embroidery and in growing pearls because it would offer more opportunities to earn income. She said there is need to also promote domestic tourism by marketing Uganda’s attractions locally.
