Gifts commemorating 40 years of Xiamen-Cardiff sister-city relations are exchanged at the event on behalf of both cities. [Photo/WeChat account: XIAMENFAO]
A celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relations between Xiamen and Cardiff in the United Kingdom was held in Xiamen on Oct 12. A photo exhibition was set up in the corridor at the venue, telling the story of the two cities over the past four decades.
Cardiff was the first international sister city of Xiamen. As the first pair of China-UK sister cities, the two cities have steadily carried out friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation over the past 40 years, continuously deepening cooperation and setting a good example for cooperation between sister cities at home and abroad.
Xiamen University and Cardiff University; Xiamen Foreign Language School and Cardiff and Vale College; and Xiamen Music School and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama have established friendly relations as well, creating a bridge for mutual understanding and learning among young people.
To highlight the close exchanges and cooperation in the field of education, gifts commemorating 40 years of Xiamen-Cardiff sister-city relations were jointly designed and produced by Xiamen City University and Cardiff and Vale College. These gifts were exchanged at the event on behalf of both cities.
Coincidentally, both gifts were flower-themed. Xiamen gifted a piece of lacquerware featuring the bougainvillea, the city flower of Xiamen, and the daffodil, representing Wales. In return, Cardiff gifted an artwork also featuring bougainvillea and daffodils.
Sarah Mann, British consul gneral in Guangzhou, said that it was her first time in Xiamen. She was delighted to take part in this event and could feel both the breadth and depth of the interactions between the two cities.
At the same time, she said she hopes that in the coming 40 years, there will be even more cooperation between Xiamen and Cardiff, encompassing culture, the economy, and education.
For instance, more cultural exchanges should be encouraged in the form of art exhibitions, music festivals, and theatrical collaborations, thereby strengthening the bonds between the residents of the two cities.
Students from Cardiff and Vale College and Xiamen Foreign Language School recited a poem specially written for the 40th anniversary of sister-city relations between the two cities. [Photo/WeChat account: XIAMENFAO]
China announced and implemented on May 15 a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
China and Georgia are set to waive visa requirements for travelers starting May 28.
