Yunnan joins hands with neighbors for cultural exchanges

Yunnan province has been hand in hand with the neighboring countries for cultural exchanges and high-quality cooperation since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed by China in 2013. Here are some cases.

In July 2022, the China-Myamar Friendship Smart Library opened in Ruili city, west Yunnan’s Dehong Dai and Jingpao autonomous prefecture. Since then, Hantesseau, a Mandalay native working in Ruili, has been a regular visitor to the library. The library is open all day and has more than 5,000 Chinese and Burmese visitors till now.

Since learning Chinese, Hantesseau has met young Chinese friends and received more job opportunities. Growing from the Jiegao border-gate bookstore to the China-Myamar smart library, the institutions have seen more and more cultural exchanges between the two countries.

In 2010, the grand epic show The Smile of Angkor debuted. Funded by Yunnan Cultural Industry Investment Holding Group, the show was co-created by Chinese and Cambodian artists. It was supported by the then Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

“As a cultural symbol for visitors from all over the world to know Cambodia, The Smile of Angkor will be staged again in October,” said Lu Xiaoqiang, who has been following the project in Cambodia for the past 12 years. Lu hoped the show could bring visitors new and amusing experiences.

Due to her outstanding performance in chemistry competitions, Vietnamese student Le Thiquynhxuan was selected to participate in a talent-training program in 2007. The program was a cooperation between the Vietnam National Coal and Minerals Industries Group and the Kunming University of Science and Technology.

Le Thiquynhxuan has finished the postdoctoral fellowship and currently teaches at Kunming University of Science and Technology. She also hopes to cultivate a new generation of talents for sustainable development in Vietnam and Yunnan.

Source: Yunnan Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao