Southeast European delegation gets taste of Shanxi's vibrant culture

A delegation of senior government officials and young leaders from nine Southeast European countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Albania, visited Liujiabao village in the Xiaodian district of Taiyuan city, Shanxi province on Friday.

The aim of the visit was to promote China's rural intangible cultural heritage, with the delegation exploring the village's grey tiled alleys, visiting exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage and art, enjoying a spectacular lion dance performance and trying the craft of lacquer fan-making.

Ismet Fatih Čančar, a government foreign affairs advisor from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was impressed by the lacquer fan-making, saying, "It was my first time experiencing it. It is a wonderful and unique traditional craft."

Fatmir Çela, deputy director of the Albanian Institute for International Studies, was impressed by the "intangible heritage plus industry" development model in Liujiabao village. He praised the local government's efforts in preserving and emphasizing intangible cultural heritage. He also said there was significant potential for cooperation between Shanxi and Albania in agriculture, particularly in high-tech applications and green development.

Currently, Liujiabao village hosts more than 40 intangible cultural heritage and handicraft projects, including Taiyuan paper-cutting, lion dancing, and Taiyuan gongs and drums. This initiative not only protects and passes on intangible cultural heritage but also boosts rural tourism, attracting more than 300,000 visitors annually.

Mihail Mikov, former speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament, commended China's efforts in promoting balanced urban-rural development. He noted that China's comprehensive strategic vision, which takes into account both large cities and small villages like Liujiabao, provides valuable insights into addressing the global challenge of urban-rural development disparities.

This visit was part of the second China rural tour for officials and youth representatives from Southeast European countries, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event commenced on Monday in Beijing with the aim of showcasing rural revitalization in China and included participation in the 2025 Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum.

Ding Yi contributed to this story.