Participants of the opening ceremony take a group photo at the gate of Huafa Community Management and Service Center for Expats.

The first community management and service center for expats in Zhuhai opened in Xiangzhou district's Huafa Community to improve the community's management and services for foreign residents. Sun Cheng, deputy mayor of the district, presided over the ceremony and Liu Qiying, mayor of the district, announced the opening.

The opening day coincided with China's traditional Lantern Festival. Foreigners from different countries gathered in the center to celebrate the festival by listening to Guqin music, making lanterns, guessing riddles, and enjoying sweet glutinous rice dumplings. Sana, a teacher from the United States, expressed her happiness and said, "This place is our home in China." She has participated in many interesting cultural activities here before and plans to continue learning Chinese and the Guqin in the future.

Foreigners from different countries gathered in the center to celebrate China's traditional Lantern Festival by listening to Guqin music, making lanterns, guessing riddles, and enjoying sweet glutinous rice dumplings.

The center is guided by the Zhuhai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and the Xiangzhou District Foreign Affairs Office. After nearly two years of preparations, it began trial operation in September 2022. The center has eight functional areas and covers 260 square meters. It offers services, including temporary accommodation registration, government service consultations, legal and psychological professional counseling, and multicultural exchange activities for overseas personnel. It seeks to achieve inclusive development and to aid in the construction of Zhuhai as a modern international economic special zone.

Since its establishment, the center has launched three major themed series of events--"A Bite of China", "Appreciating Chinese Poetry", and "Tracing Zhuhai"--and has held eight traditional Chinese cultural events, covering the study of tea art, an appreciation of Guqin music, and mooncake and dumpling making. It aims to promote exchanges among and the integration of diversified cultures from around the world. It has also provided legal and psychological counseling services for foreigners and their families, helping to alleviate any difficulties or problems and promoting the construction of an international friendly community built with collaboration, governance, sharing, and harmony.

Front desk of Huafa Community Management and Service Center for Expats

"I have been living in the Huafa Community for a year and a half. This service center has played an important role in our lives and is a great gathering place. It can help us participate in community activities and better understand Chinese culture. The staff here are also very professional and can speak fluent English, which is very helpful for us", said Janet, originally from Germany.

Nearly 70 percent of Zhuhai's foreign residents are in Xiangzhou district, with around 1,400 residing in Nanping town and around 540 in the Huafa community. They come from over 30 countries and regions such as Europe, America, and Japan and South Korea.