Country for PR: China
Contributor: Xinhua News Agency
Monday, September 12 2022 - 12:52
AsiaNet
Central Chinese City Wuhan Shines in Duisburg "Chinafest" during Mid-Autumn Festival
WUHAN, China, Sept. 12, 2022 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

From September 9 to 11, the "Chinafest" in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was 
held in the downtown square of Duisburg, and Wuhan was the only Chinese city 
with an exhibition booth on this special event.

Wuhan: the only Chinese city with a booth in "Chinafest"

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany 
diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of sisterly relations between Wuhan 
and Duisburg. To deepen China-Germany friendship, promote people-to-people 
exchanges, and support sister city Duisburg in hosting the "Chinafest", the 
Wuhan booth was set up in the central square of Duisburg, becoming the only 
Chinese city to hold an exhibition during the Chinese culture festival.

The Wuhan booth's activities were guided by the Consulate General of China in 
Dusseldorf, hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Wuhan People's Government, 
and organized by Wuhan Friendship Exchange Liaison Station in Germany and Wuhan 
International Communication Studio. Chinese Consul General in Dusseldorf Du 
Chunguo and Soeren Link, mayor of Duisburg, attended the opening ceremony and 
delivered speeches.

In his speech, Du said he has visited Duisburg four times with strong 
perception of the friendship between Duisburg and China. Over the past four 
decades, exchanges and cooperation between Wuhan and Duisburg have become 
increasingly closer, and he hoped that the two cities can build on the good 
momentum to create a new chapter in China-Germany friendship.

Mayor Link said that Duisburg and China, especially Wuhan, have in-depth 
cooperation in economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, which is 
constantly deepening and expanding. He hoped that the "Chinafest" will boost 
the ties between China and Germany as well as Duisburg and Wuhan.

Finless porpoises: ambassadors from Wuhan

A total of 400 dolls of Wuhan finless porpoises have travelled all the way from 
Wuhan to the Ruhr River in Germany to debut at the "Chinafest", attracting many 
German residents to the Wuhan booth. They held the dolls and exchanged stickers 
with friends. Before leaving the booth, a group of German teenagers sent 
Mid-Autumn greetings to Wuhan residents with these lovely dolls in hand: "Happy 
Mid-Autumn Festival, and we love Wuhan!"

Wuhan-style cultural performances

Two hundred books on Chinese traditional culture were available at the event. 
These books are a city gift from Wuhan to Duisburg, for which Mayor Link 
expressed his gratitude. Link added that Wuhan donated the Chinese garden "Ying 
Qu Yuan" to Duisburg Zoo in 1985, and provided great help and support for the 
garden's renovation and reconstruction this year, for which he also expressed 
his heartfelt thanks.

Videos of Wuhan's local artistic performances, such as Han opera and 
acrobatics, were played on the electronic screen, with local residents happily 
taking part in the experience activities.

China-Europe freight trains link Wuhan and Duisburg

At the Wuhan booth, Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd. displayed a railway 
route map between the Wuhan station and the Duisburg station of the 
China-Europe freight train services, attracting many tourists.

At present, the China-Europe freight train (Yangtze) has a total of 29 constant 
cross-border transport routes, covering more than 30 countries and over 70 
cities in Eurasia. An international multimodal transport service network 
connecting Europe, Central Asia, Japan and South Korea and ASEAN has been 
initially formed, with a strong cargo carrying capacity.

"Tomorrow will be better" for Wuhan and Duisburg

Sponsored and organized by the Association of Hubei Associations in Germany 
(Wuhan's liaison station of friendship and exchange in Germany), the teachers 
and students of Wuhan Conservatory of Music and the German Bole Chinese Choir 
collaborated online to sing the classic Chinese song Tomorrow will Be Better, 
whose charming melody filled the downtown square of Duisburg. Young teachers 
and students from China and Germany connected with each other through the song, 
sending wishes to the friendship between Wuhan and Duisburg and the ties 
between the Chinese and German people.

Source: Wuhan International Communications Studio

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=429068

   Caption: Chinese Consul General in Dusseldorf Du Chunguo and Soeren Link 
(left), mayor of Duisburg, attended the opening ceremony. 

Attachments
Opening ceremony.jpg
Translations

German