CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- “Unexpectedly, Chongqing has so many international friendship cities!” Ms. Liu, a citizen, sighed again and again when she visited Chongqing International Friendship Cities Exhibition with her daughter at Chongqing Tiandi, Yuzhong District on May 23.

One day ago, Chongqing International Friendship Cities Exhibition was officially launched. With 42 beautifully crafted and informative photos as carriers, the exhibition introduced 42 participating cities of 2024 Friendship Cities Conference in an all-round and multi-angle way, which is a wonderful frame of the development history of Chongqing international exchange “circle of friends”.

Through these photos, we can see the course of exchanges and communication between Chongqing and international friendship cities in the past 42 years, as well as a good story of friendship cities and precious friendship behind them.

A “souvenir book” full of precious memories

On October 23, 1986, Hiroshima, Japan became a friendship city of Chongqing. Since then, they had carried out a lot of friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in the past 40 years. The picture showing the traditional architecture of Hiroshima attracted many visitors.

Looking back on the history of friendly exchanges between Chongqing and Hiroshima, it is like opening a “souvenir book” full of precious memories, which is warm and beautiful.

In 1991, to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the friendship city relationship between Chongqing and Hiroshima, they jointly built a Japanese-style garden, Hiroshima Garden, in Chongqing Eling Park. Such garden has a tranquil style and varied scenery.

In 1992, they built Yuhua Garden, a Chinese-style garden in Hiroshima Central Park, based on a design plan gifted by Chongqing, and flexibly utilizing traditional Chinese gardening concepts and techniques to show the style of classical Chinese gardens.

The Deputy Mayor of Hiroshima, Japan came to Chongqing to attend 2024 Chongqing International Friendship Cities Cooperation Conference, and marveled at the economic construction achievements of Chongqing.

Talking about the cooperation between the two cities, he believed that it is necessary to promote exchanges between the younger generations. He said: “There will be 15 teenagers from Hiroshima visiting Chongqing, and the young people from Chongqing will also visit Hiroshima in this year. We hope that we can increase exchanges and contacts between the two cities by this way.”

There is the only Bayu style garden overseas.

Seattle is an American city that many Chongqing residents are very familiar with. At the exhibition, the towering city buildings of Seattle are somewhat similar to Chongqing style.

The city known as the “Emerald City” and Chongqing signed the agreement on the conclusion of friendship city relation on June 3, 1983, indicating that the friendship between the two cities has begun.

During the more than 40 years since the establishment of friendship city relationship, Chongqing and Seattle have carried out active exchanges and cooperation, and have achieved fruitful results in the fields of architecture, gardening, education, health care and so on.

Special mention should be made of the fact that in the 1990s, Chongqing and Seattle governments as well as citizens who love Chinese culture, donated funds to build Seattle Chinese Garden.

This is the only Bayu style garden overseas.

Seattle Chinese Garden is not only a symbol of friendship between them, but also a vivid embodiment of the convergence of the cultures of China and the U.S. and the saying that “one should first of all respect one’s own culture; and also appreciate the culture of others for the prosperity of human civilization”.

Nowadays, Seattle Chinese Garden has become an important place for foreigners to understand and learn about Chinese culture, as well as an important window to show the development achievements and friendly exchanges between the two.

Chongqing’s “circle of friends” is expanding.

The story of Chongqing and its friendship cities goes far beyond that. The precious friendship is also reflected in the practical cooperation with rich contents.

“Chongqing-Minsk” market procurement trade special train between Chongqing and Minsk which is a friendship city of Chongqing in Belarus, serves the city’s open economy and helps private small and micro-enterprises to carry out foreign trade exports in a multi-species, multi-batch and small batch manner.

Pest Megye, Hungary, promoted the establishment of the Sino-Hungarian Technology Transfer Center in Chongqing, assisted Chongqing in introducing eco-garden wastewater treatment technology, and built the first garden wastewater treatment plant which is more than 30% energy-saving compared with the traditional wastewater treatment plant in Jiulongpo District.

Going back to the history, since the establishment of international friendship city relationship was launched in the 1980s, Chongqing has established friendship city relationship with 56 provinces, states or cities in 37 countries around the world, and has established friendly exchange city relationship with 129 provinces, states or cities around the world.

Looking ahead, Chongqing’s “circle of friends” will continue expanding, and it will have more and more stories with its friendship cities. (Translated by Vichy, Fathom Language Limited)