Recently, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), together with World Affairs Press, Foreign Affairs Office of Fujian Provincial People’s Government, Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government, and Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) hosted the “An Encounter with the Chinese Civilization – Quanzhou, the Heart of the Maritime Silk Road” Cultural Exchanges Event in Beijing. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ACC, University Council Chairman Ni Haidong of BLCU, Chairman Cui Chun of World Affairs Press, Deputy Director-General Huang Shaorong of the Foreign Affairs Office of Fujian Provincial People’s Government, and Vice Mayor Yao Fei of Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government addressed the event. Over 150 participants, including diplomats from the Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar and other ASEAN Member States (AMS), as well as international students from BLCU attended the event. The audiences from AMS watched the live broadcast via online platforms.

Shi Zhongjun underlined that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has significantly bolstered the ties between ASEAN and China, fostering deeper economic and cultural exchanges. As one of the starting points of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou witnessed the interactions and coexistence between Eastern and Western civilizations in peace and harmony, and demonstrated a great example of peaceful dialogue and communication among different cultures of human civilization. This event aims to display the continuous endeavors of Quanzhou over the past decades to preserve, appreciate and transfer its cultural and historical treasure in the modern times, so as to enhance the communication and integration among diverse cultures. Taking “2024 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges” as a great opportunity, the ACC would like to work more actively to strengthen mutual learning between ASEAN and China, and to contribute to the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

During the event, Dr. Ding Yuling, Director of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum, gave a special lecture focusing on the history of the Maritime Silk Road and the significant value of Quanzhou’s intangible cultural heritages. The guests jointly watched performances of Quanzhou’s unique intangible cultural heritages, including Quanzhou Nanyin, Marionette show, and China Southern Shaolin Martial Arts. They also experienced the traditional Chinese floral hairpin-making, tea-serving ceremony, and puppetry, immersing themselves in the rich and colorful traditional culture of Quanzhou.