Ambassadors tour the treasures of Jilin

Northeast China's Jilin province hosted a three-day promotional trip for foreign ambassadors and their families from Aug 18 to 20, as part of a campaign to strengthen international cooperation.

The first stop of the trip was Changchun, capital of the province, where the guests visited an agricultural expo garden - an exhibition center that explains and showcases modern planting techniques, different species of flowers, grass cuttings and artwork made using plants, flowers and seeds.

Of the more than 40 exhibits, the guests were particularly impressed by a 13-meter-long and 3-meter-tall artwork made entirely out of soybeans and red beans. Many remarked upon the painstaking effort that had to go into the artwork to create it. The artwork, which depicts the Chinese characters for new era, new mission, new journey, took a dozen people more than a month to create.

Serbian Ambassador to China Milan Bacevic said that Jilin is a big province for agriculture, and that he hoped to launch more cooperation and communication activities together.

At the Baji Songhua Stone and Jewelry exhibition, the guests admired artwork made from precious Songhua Stones. Songhua Stones were discovered by Emperor Kangxi when he visited a region near Songhua River and the stone later became a material of royal collections during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Sergey Paltov, consul-general of the Russian Federation Consulate General in Shenyang, received a seal made of Songhua Stone with his name engraved upon it.

The guests then visited FAW Group, an automaker based in Jilin, to examine its production line and manufacturing facilities.

South African Ambassador to China Dolana Msimang said that FAW has cooperated with the Coega industrial development zone in Port Elizabeth, on South Africa's southern coast. She added that it has helped expand business between China and South Africa and that she believes the two sides have bright prospects for working together in the future.

On the second day of the trip, the ambassadors visited Jilin Museum and Jilin Manchu Museum to learn more about the profound history and culture of the province.

Afterwards, they took a tour along the Songhua River, which meanders through the city. Jilin invested 1.23 billion yuan ($178.65 million) in building walking paths along the river, providing locals and tourists with comfortable and convenient facilities to exercise and relax.

Ambassador of Tajikistan to China, Davlatzoda Parviz, said that he was impressed by the beautiful views in the city and added that the people living there must be very happy.

The guests then visited the Jilin ice sports center to take in an ice skating performance. The city generates considerable income from its ice industry which, like the city of Harbin in Heilongjiang province, hosts ice sculpture festivals in winter that attract a great number of tourists.

Romanian Ambassador to China Basil Vasilica Constantinescu said: "It is my first time to Jilin and the province is impressive to me. The ice and snow industry in Jilin is very developed, and I hope we can have further cooperation in the future."

The last destination of the tour was Yanji city, capital of the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture.

The guests visited Yanbian Museum to learn more about China's Korean ethnic group and admire cultural relics. Afterwards, they took in a distinctive ethnic performance at the Yanji Convention and Arts Center.

Built in 1960, Yanbian Museum preserves the local history and Korean ethnic characteristics of the area, with collections of Korean cultural and ancient relics.

In the world intangible cultural heritage hall of the museum, the guests admired gongs, drums and colorful ethnic costumes.

Ambassador of Malta to China John Aquilina said that the trip provided an opportunity to learn more about the history of Korean folk dance, in particular Nongyue, which is a dance filled with joy and positive energy.

The guests then took part in Korean folk culture activities, such as making rice cakes and kimchi, and tasting rice wine.

Contact the writers at caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/29/2018 page10)