By Tao Yongyan
　　
　　Ancient Chinese poets celebrated Yinchuan—the "Oasis on the Frontier"—with timeless verses such as "In the boundless desert, a straight smoke rises; into the Yellow River, the round sun slowly sinks,"highlighting its majesty, and "In jade cups, wine of grapes shines in the night,"capturing its charm. Today, this storied land thrives as a hub for wine and tourism, and safeguarding these industries is a priority for local police officers. Yinchuan is one of China’s first model cities for social security control and the Public Security Bureau has pioneered an innovative policing strategy. Embracing its signature "Fengqiao Experience on the Frontier"policy, the bureau integrates expertise, institutional mechanisms, and big data to enhance proactive and preventive security measures and give full play to its "pro-tourism policing"initiatives. With sustained efforts to implement a "policing-tourism synergy and layered security"model, the bureau is committed to safeguarding the high-quality development of its cultural tourism economy, guaranteeing visitors safety and hospitality across this land known as the "Cradle of Stars."
　　Smart Policing
　　"Excuse me! Open flames are prohibited here!"On May 3, 2025, an officer from Nuanquan Police Station in Helan County spotted tourists camping and barbecuing near the Helan Mountains cliff painting site through real-time monitoring, so he immediately rushed to the scene and issued this warning.
　　Real-time citywide security updates flash across the giant screen at the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau’s command center. This comprehensive surveillance network, powered by more than 200 elevated cameras, over 60,000 HD monitoring channels, 10,000 smart sensing terminals, and 202 high-definition risk assessment nodes, functions as the city’s digital neural network that detects and mitigates risks at their earliest stages.
　　When the Ningxia International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo opened in Yinchuan on August 9, 2024, the public security team implemented a smart "integrated ground-and-air"security system to manage the crowded visitors. The intelligent security measures featured both 16 terahertz security gates, which process attendees in just 2 seconds with 98% detection accuracy for prohibited items, and aerial drones providing real-time monitoring and alerts. This was a successful case of Yinchuan’s policing technologies.
　　"On May 1st, tourist attractions in our jurisdiction—including Zhenbeipu Film and Television City, Manpu Town, and Gunzhongkou—received a total of over 100,000 visitors,"said Zhao Hui, Director of the Zhenbeipu Police Station under the Xixia Branch of the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau. To ensure public safety during the peak travel season, the Bureau implemented coordinated measures beginning with advance contingency planning. A multi-layered patrol strategy combined foot patrols, vehicle inspections, and video surveillance, with increased frequency and coverage supported by police dogs. Drones provided aerial monitoring, broadcasting safety reminders while assisting officers in delivering rapid responses to tourist needs—from answering queries and locating lost items to providing first aid. For traffic management at popular tourist sites, local police enhanced real-time risk warnings through attraction-based apps, deployed additional personnel for crowd control and traffic guidance, expanded parking capacity, installed more signage, and dynamically adjusted traffic signals to alleviate congestion.
　　In addition, the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau has systematically optimized its deployment framework to build a practical, real-time patrol and prevention system characterized by grid-based policing, layered coverage, and all-around control. After a comprehensive assessment of local security patterns, emergency response ranges, and incident distribution, the Bureau has divided the whole city into 90 public security patrol zones and 28 traffic patrol zones. The system includes 21 rapid-response areas defined as "1-minute, 3-minute, and 5-minute response circles,"along with 13 designated quick-response points. The Bureau also operates seven on-street police stations and five joint-duty posts staffed by both traffic and public security officers. Leveraging 65 video surveillance emergency plans and 17 drone patrol units, the bureau can undertake 24/7 video monitoring and intelligent drone flexible patrols, forming an integrated land-air patrol network built on tiered patrol zones and strategically placed rapid response points.
　　"This May Day holiday, my friends and I visited Lanshan Park, Huaiyuan Night Market, and Zhenbeipu, and we were all impressed by Yinchuan’s beauty and security. We’ve truly fallen in love with this city!"shared Ms. Zou, a tourist from Hunan Province. The holiday period saw Yinchuan’s public security forces successfully ensure the safety of 980,000 vehicle trips and 380,000 visits.

　　Police-Civilian Partnership
　　"Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you get a temporary residence certificate for your girl’s school enrollment today,"reassured the officer dealing with residence registration at the Zhenbeipu Police Station while processing relevant paperwork for Oksana, a Russian citizen on February 20, 2024 .
　　The Oksanas moved to Manpu Town at the foot of the Helan Mountains in 2023 with a circus. They had difficulty enrolling their five-year-old daughter Alisa Oksana in local school due to language barriers and temporary residence application complexities. Their situation quickly drew community attention. A member of the neighborhood security committee promptly notified both the community officer and the Zhenbeipu Police Station about the family’s predicament. Hao Chunli, the officer in charge of residence registration, immediately took a three-pronged approach: she coordinated with local education authorities to establish a special enrollment process for foreign children, arranged with the school to create a transitional Chinese language program, and processed necessary extensions for the parents’ residence permits. Seeing the officer promptly finish the registration, the little Russian girl expressed her gratitude with newly learned Chinese phrases: Xiexie, Feichang Ganxie (Thank you very much)!
　　In recent years, the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau has spearheaded innovative approaches that combine targeted policing with community-based strategies to address evolving challenges. By deeply integrating neighborhood security committees with community policing and grid-based management systems, the Bureau has established a comprehensive social governance framework. This system involves police stations and comprehensive governance centers functioning as the central "brain,"supported by a network of police service stations (offices), village (community) organizations, and neighborhood security committees. Currently, this initiative engages over 35,000 members from 577 neighborhood security committees throughout the city, who actively contribute to daily public safety operations, including routine patrols, dispute mediation, and information collection.
　　On April 27, three visiting mountaineers chose to challenge themselves by taking an undeveloped trail in the Helan Mountains’ Suyukou Scenic Area. As they ascended, they encountered unexpectedly weather conditions—plummeting temperatures caused by a sudden sleet. The group immediately called the emergency hotline. A coordinated rescue effort quickly mobilized, involving officers from the Zhenbeipu Police Station, members of the local neighborhood security committee, scenic area personnel, and firefighters. Thanks to this swift response, all three hikers were successfully located and brought to safety within three hours.
　　"The credit goes to our local residents and community partners who watch out for each other,"said Zhenbeipu Police Station’s Zhao Hui humbly when the hikers returned the following day with a thank-you banner. Zhao emphasized that the successful operation demonstrated the effectiveness of their integrated "police grid + community grid"system and cross-departmental cooperation. The scenic area’s surveillance cameras were like "electronic sentinels"that helped create a robust, multi-layered safety net.
　　The Yinchuan Public Security Bureau has prioritized supporting high-quality development of the region’s key industries. To better serve the city’s signature sectors like wine and wolfberry production along the cultural-tourism belt at the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains, the bureau has established 10 intellectual property rights (IPR) protection service centers across eight major industrial parks, significantly enhancing its service efficiency for local businesses. Through a cooperation framework signed with Yinchuan’s Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television, it actively safeguards cultural development by holding regular joint meetings and conducting online and offline legal awareness campaigns, with a commitment to creating a secure environment for both residents and visitors throughout the region.

　　Home to Foreign Visitors
　　"Thank you! Chinese police are amazing!"exclaimed a grateful foreign tourist after Helan County officers helped him recover his lost cellphone. On April 5, 2025, Nuanquan Police Station’s director Zhao Xiaopeng and an auxiliary officer were patrolling around key tourist areas including the Helan Mountains National Forest Park and the Cliff Painting Scenic Area when they heard of a foreign tourist’s report about a lost phone that contained vital travel documents and ticket information. While comforting him, the officers meticulously reviewed surveillance footage and successfully located the missing device. "Traveling across China, I feel an unprecedented sense of security,"the tourist said afterward. "Police officers here are like guardians—they make me feel right at home.’
　　Adhering to its principle of "efficiency, sincerity, and diversity,", the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau has significantly improved its case-handling through enhanced responsive mechanisms. The Bureau has also optimized its immigration services by implementing targeted initiatives, including multilingual assistance provided by language-proficient officers, an integrated "online reservation + offline processing"system to simplify procedures, and customized support for high-level international professionals based in Yinchuan.
　　On April 28, 2025, a French national arrived in Yinchuan for an international cultural event. Officer Yang Ru from the Yinchuan Municipal Exit-Entry Administration provided clear English-language guidance on the documentation and procedures required for his temporary residence permit application. The visitor later shared his appreciation, noting, "My China experience has been perfect, particularly thanks to the local police’s professionalism and hospitability.’
　　"I came to Yinchuan from Serbia years ago for love, and it has become my home ever since,"shared the founder of an education consultancy company. "Each year when I visit the Exit-Entry Administration Service Center to renew my residence permit, I’m impressed by the officers’ efficiency and kindness. Last year, when I invited my mother to China for the first time, I submitted incorrect documents for her temporary residence permit. The officer not only patiently explained the proper procedure but ensured her permit was processed before her visa expired. I was deeply grateful. Yinchuan has proven to be both vibrant and welcoming. Between its inclusive business environment and the dedicated police force, I’ll abide by all regulations while contributing to the city’s economic growth through my business."
　　By extending the "digital neural network"of smart policing to the "capillaries"of neighborhood security committees, the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau protects both local residents and international visitors alike. By upholding the "Fengqiao Experience on the Frontier,"it is now developing a new "police-tourism synergy"model that combines "flexible case-handling, intelligent monitoring, and premium services."As grapevines once again weave their poetry across the Helan Mountains’ eastern foothills, the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau continues to write a new chapter in the enduring tale of the ’Cradle of Stars.’■
　　
　　 (Translated by Chen Xiaoying, School of Foreign Languages, Beijing Forestry University)