‘Xuwen Friendship’ Sets Sail in the Sea of Pineapples, Creating a New Sino-Finnish Landmark of Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Integration

Recently, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Finland, Ms. Melissa Säilä, Minister-Counselor of the Finnish Embassy in China, led a delegation to Xuwen County in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, for an exchange visit. Together with Luo Hongxia, Secretary of the Xuwen County Party Committee, and Wang Dunyan, Director of Zhanjiang’s Foreign Affairs Office, the group gathered at the "Sea of Pineapples" to explore new avenues of cooperation centered on “sports as a medium and cultural tourism as a driver of prosperity.”

Ms. Melissa Säilä, Minister-Counselor of the Finnish Embassy of Finland in China, led a delegation to Xuwen for an exchange visit

Sports as a Bridge: From the Arctic Circle to the Sea of Pineapples

The friendship between Xuwen and Rovaniemi, Finland, has deepened through the bond of sports. In 2023, under the “Happy Sports China” initiative, the first WePark Community Football Park in Guangdong Province was established in Xuwen, marking a milestone in bilateral cooperation. In April 2025, the two sides formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Exchanges and Cooperation, establishing five key areas for collaboration: economy and trade, agriculture, education, tourism, and industrial park development, and agreed to establish a long-term communication mechanism.

“Sports have become the closest bond connecting Xuwen and Rovaniemi,” stated Luo Hongxia while introducing Xuwen’s cultural and tourism resources. Wang Dunyan, Director of the Zhanjiang Foreign Affairs Office, noted that this 8,000-kilometer “bridge of friendship” is helping dissolve geographical and cultural barriers through innovative and pragmatic cooperation.

Friendship Sets Sail: Landmark Inauguration Celebrates Twin-City Ties

The Inauguration of the "Xuwen Friendship"

At the event, the symbolic “Xuwen Friendship” ship was officially unveiled, signifying the bond between the two cities. Designed collaboratively by Finland’s Leppanen Group and Chengdu Happy Sports Development Group, the installation is located in Qujie Town’s Sea of Pineapples scenic area. The landmark includes a boat-shaped playground structure, a guiding lighthouse, and a fun sandpit, creating an immersive space for sightseeing, family interaction, photo-taking, and international cultural exchange.

“Local partnerships are becoming a crucial pillar of Finland-China cooperation,” said Minister-Counselor Melissa Säilä. In a congratulatory video message, Mayor Vainio of Rovaniemi said: “The ship of friendship has set sail—we look forward to deeper and broader cooperation.” Luo Hongxia described the project as “a vivid practice of integrating culture, sports, and tourism to drive high-quality development,” and emphasized its role as a platform for youth engagement and the promotion of sportsmanship.

Integrated Win-Win: Agriculture, Sports, Tourism, and Culture Paint a New Vision for County Development

At the event, an initiative titled “Driving Integrated Development of Agriculture, Sports, Tourism, and Culture through Sports” was officially launched, calling on all sectors to participate in building a model for modernized county development. In the future, the “Xuwen Friendship” will leverage the scenic area’s rich agricultural resources and sporting events to develop functions such as educational tourism, brand promotion, and more. It aims to establish a “Culture + Tourism + Agriculture + Sports” four-in-one industrial ecosystem, unlocking sustainable economic value.

This China-Finland cooperation not only opens a gateway for Xuwen to connect with international standards in cultural and tourism development, but also, through this imaginative new landmark, brings to life a poetic dialogue between the Sea of Pineapples and the Northern Lights.

(By Fu Yan)