The Strategy for Building Yunnan into a Gateway in China′s Opening up to Southwest Asia and the Development of the Cultures of the Cross-border Ethnic Groups in Yunnan Province

Yunnan borders Vietnam,Laos and Myanmar,located at a geographical vantage point called The Link between India and the Yangtze River by the famous British geographer H.R.Davis.In his investigation of Yunnan,Mr.Hu Jintao,General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee,set up the goal of building Yunnan into a strategic gateway in China′s opening up to Southwest Asia.Recently,the State Council of China issued documents for quickening the building of Yunnan into a strategic gateway in China′s opening up to Southwest Asia,which indicates the actual implementation of this strategy.Based on related documents and fieldwork,the paper discusses the development of the cultures of the cross-border ethnic groups in Yunnan Province.