Three children play the hulusi, a traditional Chinese instrument, just after school in a community center of Wuzhong city, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on July 23.

Their young faces display great enthusiasm and focus, but their enjoyment is just one benefit of the class, part of a number of efforts by Fu Rong Community to enhance ethnic solidarity, build a harmonious community and enrich residents’ lives. Thanks to this work, the community has also emerged as a nationwide model.

According to Hu Shaojie, associate director of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Ningxia has a large proportion of ethnic groups and the great number of people who have religious beliefs.

Consequently, the region’s moves to promote ethnic solidarity are of great importance.

According to He Fang, a community worker, one very typical method adopted by Fu Rong Community is the neighborhood festival held every year.

"During the festival, a variety of activities take place. For example, residents exchange fans that symbolize being a good neighbor as a way to open the door to strangers in the community," she adds.

Then, residents can become more familiar with one another by attending lessons in traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the hulusi and erhu, taking part in basketball matches or competing in singing contests.

"All residents, regardless of ethnicity, are encouraged to join in these activities," He stresses.

In this way, the neighborhood festival builds a platform for people to get to know and help each other.

"All of my family members have been involved in the festival over the past 10 years. Neighbors are busy doing their jobs in daily life, but we can gather together during the festival to do something interesting. That is much more enjoyable for us than staying at home," says Pu Chuanyong, a community resident.

Moreover, the community established a volunteer group called Sunshine Charity Association, made up of residents from different ethnic groups.

"This group offers a hand to those in need in the community. For example, we once visited an old couple who had just lost their only son. Group members helped them to clean their house and talked to them, trying our best to provide comfort," says Yu Li, a community resident and group member.

Such collaboration allows people from different ethnic groups to build bonds and forge relationships.

"By gathering people together through activities, now they are as close as family members and they usually help each other," said He.

"In this year, people in the community celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival and Hui Hari Raya on the same day. People enjoyed the shared festivals very much by cooking together, despite the differences among their customs," says Hu.

"The point is, we respect each other," Hu adds. "Han people here were thoughtful enough to help Hui residents bring their cooking utensils to the kitchen in case they should feel uncomfortable to use those of the Han people. And Hui people were grateful for this."

The progress is remarkable. In 2015, Fu Rong Community was named A Demonstration Community of National Solidarity and Progress.

"Living in this atmosphere, we never judge each other according to ethnic groups. We are all ordinary people in each other’s eyes, and we get on really well." says Yu.

(By Wang Ru and Hu Dongmei)
(Photo by Chen Xinyu)