Qingdao's cultural exchange event - themed "Setting Sail Across the Ocean: A Date with Qingdao" - recently took place at the Canadian Flower Winery in Richmond, Canada. Through cultural performances and interactions, the event showcased the unique charm and open, dynamic spirit of Qingdao City, China as a modern international metropolis, attracting a large number of participants from local residents and overseas Chinese communities.

Some guests visited the Qingdao scenery display.

Photo by Luan Zhongmin

The event featured several distinctive sections, including a Qingdao culture exhibition, a city photography display, and a Tsingtao Beer tasting area. The culture zone highlighted intangible cultural heritage handicrafts—such as Qingdao shell carvings, paper-cuttings, and dough sculptures—alongside creative merchandise like commemorative coins, fridge magnets, keychains, and bookmarks. Through exquisite traditional craftsmanship and designs that capture the city's unique coastal characters, local residents were able to experience Qingdao's cultural depth and the warmth of the city firsthand.

Qingdao's beautiful scenery amazed guests attending the event.

Photo by Luan Zhongmin

The city photography display looped promotional videos showcasing Qingdao’s city image, vividly retracing the city's journey of development. The photographs cover a wide range of subjects—including cityscapes, economic progress, and history and culture—capturing everything from coastal scenery to the rapidly evolving modern metropolis. Together, they present a portrait of Qingdao that blends historical depth with modern vitality, offering visitors an immediate, firsthand experience of the city's unique beauty where mountains, sea, and urban life converge.

Local citizens visited the booth and took photo together.

Photo by Luan Zhongmin

A guest tasted a glass of Tsingtao Beer.

Photo by Luan Zhongmin

The group photo of local residents and overseas Chinese attending the event.

Photo by Luan Zhongmin

The Tsingtao Beer tasting area is bustling with local residents as they raised their glasses to savor the rich, aromatic brew from Qingdao, China, experiencing the century-old brewing culture of Qingdao, the "City of Beer".

The year 2026 marks the 18th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Qingdao and Richmond. Qingdao is not only a renowned coastal trading city and a hub for modern industries but also home to a world-class port. Over the years, the two cities have maintained active economic, trade, and cultural exchanges. And their friendship stretches across mountains and seas, yielding fruitful results.