Sharing Session of 2023 Silk Road Rediscovery Tour of Beijing Held: "I Seem to Come to Somewhere Else Instead of China"

On August 25, the Sharing Session of the 2023 Silk Road Rediscovery Tour of Beijing kicked off on the cruise vessel of the Grand Canal. The session featured three topics, namely cultural mutual learning between China and the world, global wisdom of mega-city governance, and modern city construction under global changes. During the event, guests passionately  shared their opinions and insights in the joyful site.

Sharing Session of 2023 Silk Road Rediscovery Tour of Beijing [Photo by Li Xiaogang]

Ioan Budura, formerly the Editor-in-Chief of the Department of Culture, Radio Romania, and a famous sinologist, says that through the visits in the last couple of days, he believes that Chinese people know how to showcase their cultural achievements while attaching vital importance to their history and culture. He hopes that China can further develop its culture as a soft power along with economic development instead of putting aside the fruits of its dazzling civilization.

Guvanch Soyunov, Director of "Altyn Asyr" (Golden Age), a state-owned TV channel of Turkmenistan, and the Head of the Department of Actors and Actresses of "Altyn Asyr", agrees with Ioan's opinion. He expresses that the Beijing Xuannan Culture Museum has brought the history and culture of old Beijing alive via immersive performances rather than simply collection displays. Such a creative way of spreading culture breathes new life into the traditional culture, which he highly appreciates.

Violeta Derkovic, Director-General of Svilara Cultural Station in Novi Sad, Serbia, adds that the pursuit of spiritual culture by Chinese people is not only embedded in museums but also in the square dancing rehearsal room and the calligraphy training room of Chaowai Party Mass Community Service Center, all epitomizing cultural inheritance and promotion. "A nation that can preserve its culture well is destined to prosper," comments Asel Akhmetova, a famous actress in Kazakhstan and a broadcaster of Atameken TV Station.

Aside from the long-standing and splendid Chinese culture with deep impressions, the excellent urban governance of Beijing has also earned praise from international influencers.

Kong Sereyrath, Chief of Bureau of Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) affiliated with the Ministry of Information of the Kingdom of Cambodia, expresses that he has learned many measures of urban governance during this tour, which he will share with more people after returning to Cambodia. At the same time, he hopes to promote the mode of the 12345 citizen hotline in Cambodia to collect more voices from the grassroots in his country.

Violeta Derkovic adds that in the Beijing 12345 Hotline Service Center, she saw many complimenting banners for the staff and the center. Such a spirit featuring mutual respect and care among people is worth learning for Europeans.

Moreover, Senad Hergic, Editor-in-Chief of Okto, an Austrian TV station, says that the urban governance of Beijing does not solely rely on the government. It also involves the residents living in this city, who are given full play to participate in urban governance through multiple effective feedback channels. In this way, the city will enjoy rapid development with public opinion and wisdom.

Chamaiporn Srikhayan, Editor-in-Chief of Bangkok Biz News, shares her gains from this tour to Beijing. She says that there are not only motor vehicle and non-motor vehicle lanes but also bicycle lanes. With more vehicles and pedestrians than Bangkok, Beijing can still ensure smooth traffic flow. That is the credit of successful urban planning.

"I seem to come to somewhere else instead of China," says jokingly Achieford Mhondera, lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe and a columnist. "What I had seen on social media was a smoggy China. But when I came here in person, the Beijing I saw was a city with blue skies and green trees, where new energy vehicles can be seen everywhere. It is a city where clean energy is strongly promoted and developed." He says that this tour to Beijing has helped him find answers to questions deep in his heart. He will return to his country with the Chinese wisdom and promote it to more people.