On June 12, "Living Poetry" Hangzhou Cultural and Tourism Road Show was successfully held in Boston. Huang Ping, Chinese Consul General in New York, Chen Xinhua, Vice chairman of Hangzhou Municipal committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ms. Lydia Edwards, Senator of Massachusetts, Mr. James Reginald Colimon, Special Representative of the Mayor of Boston, Deputy Director of Globe Affairs and Protocol Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, Ms. Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston, Mr. John Borders IV, Director of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment Department of Boston, attended the Road Show and delivered speeches. More than 100 guests from the cultural, tourism and media communities in Boston, New York and Philadelphia participated in the event.
Consul General Huang Ping said that Hangzhou is known for its "beauty" "prosperity" "openness" and "innovation". Hangzhou enjoys the reputation of "paradise on earth", where natural and cultural heritages, tradition and modernness are organically integrated. Hangzhou has maintained rapid development in recent years. The per capita GDP ranks among the top cities in China. Hangzhou has successfully hosted many international conferences such as G20 Summit in 2016 and will host the 19th Asian Games in September this year. In addition, Hangzhou ranks No.14 in Creativity Index for cities around the globe. Alibaba, Wahaha and many other internationally renowned companies have established businesses here. Under the guidance of the new concept for development, Hangzhou will surely make more achievements on the road of high-quality development.
Huang Ping pointed out that Hangzhou is the city that has witnessed the development of Sino-US relations. During World War II, the pilots of the American Doolittle Air Raids made an emergency landing on the coast area near Hangzhou and were rescued by the people. In 1972, leaders of China and the US reached the agreement upon the "Shanghai Communiqué" by the side of West Lake in Hangzhou. In 2016, President Xi Jinping met with then US President Barack Obama in Hangzhou and reached a series of important consensus. In 1982, Hangzhou and Boston became sister cities and have maintained a friendly and cooperative relationship.
Huang Ping said that sub-national cooperation between China and the United States is of great significance. Boston is one of the earliest areas in the United States to conduct trade with China. In recent years, China has become an important source of imports and an export market for Boston, and bilateral trade exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields have brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. When Covid-19 was raging, Hangzhou and Boston gave each other support for pandemic prevention materials, helped each other and overcame the difficult times together, which showcased the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. The Greater Boston area is currently a relatively concentrated area for Chinese students in the United States. The Boston Dragon Boat Festival has witnessed the history of cultural exchanges between the two countries. We should try our best to pave the way for people to people exchanges and remove obstacles. It is hoped that the Boston area will continue to take its regional advantages and make positive contributions to the development of bilateral relations and the friendship between the two peoples.
Representatives from the U.S. side expressed that both Boston and Hangzhou are cities with beautiful natural scenery, profound cultural heritage and top universities. Since 1982, the two sides have adhered to the principles of mutual respect and close cooperation to develop sistership relations and achieved fruitful results. In the future, cultural exchanges and tourism cooperation are expected to be further strengthened so as to promote the sustainable development of the friendship between the two cities.
During the Road Show, the relevant organizations from Hangzhou and Boston signed the "Memorandum of Tourism Development Cooperation" and "Tourism Cooperation Agreement", which laid an important foundation for the practical cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism.
The attendees enjoyed very much the display of exquisite Chinese culture such as Song paintings, traditional music, incense burning and Han Costumes.
