China Focus: An ethnic unity story in Jinhuayuan community

Tie Zhanming, 68, has assumed a new identity as "shared grandpa" in his apartment building since he retired.

Whenever a neighbor is unable to get off work on time to pick up their child from school, Tie will take the child home, help with homework, play games, and buy snacks if the child throws a tantrum.

Tie lives in the Jinhuayuan community in the city of Wuzhong in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the community on Monday during his inspection tour in the region.

The community is home to more than 13,000 permanent residents, nearly half of whom are of ethnic minority groups.

It represents the fine tradition of the Chinese nation and the great strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to enable people of all ethnic groups to walk hand in hand into a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xi said when he talked with residents on the community square.

"With the continuous efforts of the Party and the government as well as the tireless endeavors of the people, the days ahead will surely be better and happier," Xi added.

"Seven Han and three Hui families live in our apartment building. I treat their children like mine. We are like a big family," said Tie, who is an ethnic Hui.

According to Zhang Liping, Party secretary of the community, building a harmonious relationship among residents of different ethnic backgrounds has always been a priority in their daily work.

According to her, the community holds a "neighbors' day" event every September, where residents participate in cooking contests and other activities to enjoy the get-together.

During traditional festivals, Tie and his wife always prepare traditional food and snacks for their neighbors and join others to make special food for these occasions.

Ningxia is the only provincial-level ethnic Hui autonomous region in China, with its Hui population accounting for over 36 percent of the total.

Communities like Jinhuayuan are ubiquitous in Ningxia. The Gongxiang community in Yinchuan, capital city of the region, is home to five ethnic groups, namely Hui, Han, Manchu, Tibetan and Mongolian.

Next to North Minzu University, community residents have paired up with ethnic minority students from other parts of the country and become their "host families."

The idea came from Liu Lijuan, head of the community's neighborhood committee. Her son went to college in the eastern coastal province of Fujian in 2015.

"I was worried about my son living in a completely strange city. Then I thought of the ethnic minority students who came from afar to study in our neighborhood," she said. "Why don't we help them fit into the new life here?"

Weekend family gatherings have become good opportunities for the local residents and students of different ethnic groups to build closer bonds, according to Liu.