Century-old Iron Bridge witnesses consolidating Sino-Germany friendship

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HAMBURG, Germany, July 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With the aim to promote Lanzhou City in Germany and facilitate exchanges between the northwestern Chinese city with Germany's Hamburg by leveraging a famous Lanzhou-based bridge made of Germany iron, "Feeling Lanzhou", an inter-city cultural exchange event between the two countries, was held in Germany's second largest city Hamburg on June 28.

The international cultural exchange event commemorating a bridge of friendship aims to carry forward the Belt and Road Initiative's spirit of "peaceful cooperation, openness and tolerance, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win". It was hosted by Lanzhou's publicity department and supported by the city's international communication office, News & Information Center with Xinhua News Agency, Lanzhou Culture & Tourism Bureau, Lanzhou Beef Noodle Association and Hamburg German-Chinese Exchange Association and the China-EU Cultural Association. Guests including Wang Wei, acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Hamburg, Uwe Kullnick, the president of European Chinese Culture Exchange attended the event.

As Lanzhou's first major transport channel spanning over the Yellow River, the Zhongshan Bridge is all made of steel from Germany, representing the friendship between the two countries. Hamburg has over two thousand of bridges and is known as the City of Bridges, thus it is a trip of friendship for the Zhongshan Bridge's hometown to visit Hamburg.

"By this event in Germany's Hamburg, we present the unique Silk Road culture, Yellow River culture and Chinese culture in northwest China and Lanzhou, aiming to build a communication platform between two famous cities and seek comprehensive cooperation and win-win development in cultural exchanges, long-term friendship and economic and trade activities," said Su Yong, head of the international communication office with the People's Government of Lanzhou.

Various performances with Lanzhou features were displayed during the event. The attendees were awed by the ingenuity of the intangible cultural heritage Lanzhou gourd carving. The performance of the Qinqiang Opera and Dunhuang dance with "pipa", a traditional Chinese musical instrument, played behind the back also received a round of applause. The most impressive part was the live making of Lanzhou beef hand-pulled noodle. At the hands of Ma Wenbin, the fourth-generation successor of the craftsmanship, a dough was pulled into noodles of different widths, awing viewers on the site. They were impressed by the taste of the noodle and said they look forward to the opening of an authentic Lanzhou beef hand-pulled noodle restaurant in Germany, which will be a hit among local people.

In addition, the Lanzhou Zhongshan Iron Bridge Construction History Photo Exhibition featuring works from the two countries was also opened on the same day in Hamburg and will last for 15 days. The Lanzhou Culture & Tourism Bureau and Lanzhou Federation of Literary & Art Fields signed cultural and tourism exchange and cooperation agreements with the Hamburg German-Chinese Exchange Association and the China-EU Cultural Association. A liaison office in Hamburg to promote Lanzhou's culture and tourism was also unveiled that day.

The international cultural exchange activity will facilitate higher-level of exchanges and cooperation between the two cities on trade and business, culture and tourism, talent training and other aspects, increasing inter-connectivity and promoting mutual development.

"The exchange event will improve two peoples' understanding of each other. Both sides can gain inspiration from each other's history and culture and deepen bilateral ties," said Wang Wei, acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Hamburg.

SOURCE Lanzhou Culture & Tourism Bureau