HZICC: Hangzhou and the World: 10 Paired Conversations

HANGZHOU, China, Dec. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- History is woven from stories, and vivid individuals are the protagonists of these tales.

Alongside the event "Hangzhou, a Window to China's 5000-Year Civilization", 10 Hangzhou Seekers from 10 different countries embarked on an in-depth exploration of Hangzhou. Organized by the Hangzhou International Communication Center, this event brought together scholars, media professionals, artists, and historians from Spain, Italy, Egypt, Brazil, the United States, Thailand, Turkey, Greece, Canada, and Germany to launch a dialogue of civilizations that transcends mountains and seas and bridges East and West.

This time, we invited 10 Hangzhou representatives to join the 10 Hangzhou Seekers in initiating "Hangzhou and the World: 10 Paired Conversations". These 10 Hangzhou Seekers may have different perspectives on Hangzhou and attitudes towards the world. We believe that as long as one is full of curiosity and enthusiasm for the world, everyone is a true in-depth explorer of the world. Open and inclusive Hangzhou is providing such a cross-cultural platform for distinctive dialogues of civilizations.

Remonda Fayez Michel, Curator of the Grand Egyptian Museum & Xu Tianjin, Director of Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute) and renowned archaeologist

Theme: Innovative Museum Curation and Civilization Narration

As the director of Liangzhu Museum, he once gained a following among young people for his engaging content. As an archaeologist, he has dedicated over 40 years to Shang and Zhou dynasty archaeology, participating in and leading numerous archaeological excavations and research projects of important sites. In Xu Tianjin's view, archaeologists should not only excavate cultural relics and explore history, but also interpret culture and guide public participation. These experiences have become the core focus of Remonda Fayez Michel, Curator of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Remonda and Director Xu had in-depth discussions on the strategies and practices of the two museums, jointly exploring new ways to promote ancient civilizations to the world.

Francisca Molinero, Principal of a renowned international school in Spain & Ling Ran, Founding Consultant of Yungu School

Theme: Opportunities and Challenges of Cross-Cultural Education

Francisca's school brings together students from more than 45 countries, and she has rich experience in cross-cultural education; Ling Ran is an expert in exploring quality education in China. Through exchanges, they discussed how technologies such as AI can be better applied in teaching, how to define "the greatest value of education for children" and "educational goals", and explored many beneficial practices of Eastern and Western education.

Kittiporn Tantrarungroj, Chairman of the Thailand Choral Association & Zhou Weiping, Artistic Director of the Hangzhou Philharmonic Angel Choir

Theme: Nationality and Globality of Music

Their paths first crossed at a Korean choral festival, and this time their fates intertwined again in Hangzhou. Having switched careers from a doctor to a conductor, Dr. Kittiporn Tantrarungroj skillfully integrates Thai cultural elements with choral music and actively brings it to the international stage. Combining the performance experience of the Hangzhou Philharmonic Angel Choir, Zhou Weiping also shared his exploration and practice in integrating local characteristics with an international perspective in choral music.

David Ringo Miano, Well-known American historian and popular science blogger on history & Wang Chong, Director of the American Studies Center, Zhejiang International Studies University

Theme: The Unique Role of History in Cross-Cultural Communication

How can history serve as a bridge to cross cultural divides and promote mutual understanding? Can the historical narratives, laws of rise and fall, and interaction patterns of different civilizations provide wisdom and a basis for dialogue to interpret the complex cultural collisions of the present? David and Wang Chong's conversation profoundly and simply clarified how a historical perspective can help people transcend current misunderstandings and promote the development and progress of human civilization.

Renato de Almeida Freitas Junior, Renowned Brazilian lawyer & Yang Rui, Special Host of Hangzhou International Communication Center

Theme: The Youth Force in Social Change

Curitiba in Brazil signed an agreement with Hangzhou to become sister cities in 2001. Visiting China for the first time, Renato paid special attention to China's technological development, especially the practice of technology benefiting people. Through relaxed conversations, Yang Rui and Renato explored the resonance and complementary value of the two cities in fields such as public transportation, culture, and art.

Angelina Hui Qing Zhang, Senior social media strategy consultant in Canada & Daria, Host of Hangzhoufeel

Theme: Generation Z Embraces Diverse Civilizations

Angelina, a content creator with 7 million followers, and Daria, host of Hangzhoufeel, shared their creative insights in the cross-cultural digital ecosystem—how to connect global youth culture through content such as fashion, beauty, and music.

Christina Papageorgopoulou, Greek anthropology professor & Guo Yi, Professor of the School of Art and Archaeology, Zhejiang University

Theme: Archaeological Science and the Code of Human Civilization

Christina's team focuses on cutting-edge fields such as paleodietary studies, paleodemography, paleogenetics, and digital archaeology. She is full of interest in the development status, professional ecology, and youth participation of Chinese archaeology; Guo Yi has been engaged in archaeological science research for many years, restoring people's diet and life by measuring the stable isotope ratios of human bodies. The two scholars not only discussed the possibility of ancient DNA technology in the research of Liangzhu Civilization, but also explored the methodological innovation and theoretical breakthrough of archaeological science in the research of civilization mutual learning.

Leonardo Cinieri Lombroso, Italian documentary director & Gu Jiafeng, Chinese film producer

Theme: Let Stories Become History

Ten years ago, a documentary about a Chinese girl and her Roman landlady was released, arousing curiosity about China among many Italian audiences. This time, Leonardo turned his in-depth exploration trip to Hangzhou into a story-collecting journey. Producer Gu Jiafeng had an in-depth conversation with Leonardo about the narratives of Chinese and Asian films, noting that directors and cameras can become a universal language for cultural integration and civilization mutual learning.

Gunther Riehle, Top 10 World Photographers and renowned German photographer & Wu Zongqi, Honorary Chairman of the Zhejiang Photographers Association, China

Theme: Cities and Nature in Images

Gunther once won the Grand Prize at the Zhejiang International Photography Exhibition in China, thus forging an indissoluble bond with China. During this exploration trip to Hangzhou, he had a friendly conversation with Wu Zongqi, Honorary Chairman of the Zhejiang Photographers Association, who once presented him with the award. Hangzhou is a paradise for photographers to create, and they express themselves through images, presenting a unique artistic dialogue.

Tunç Akkoç, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Harici Media in Turkey & Shen Zhixing, Director and Professor of the Turkish Research Center, Mediterranean Research Institute, Zhejiang International Studies University

Theme: Exploration of the Coexistence of Diverse Civilizations

Tunç is not only the founder and editor-in-chief of Harici, a well-known Turkish media organization, but also a documentary producer who has traveled around the world. Professor Shen Zhixing has been deeply engaged in Turkish language teaching and research for more than 30 years. He has not only compiled the "Turkish-Chinese Dictionary", but also introduced classic works such as Orhan Pamuk's "My Name Is Red" (Nobel Prize winner in Literature) to Chinese readers. The two cultural envoys had an in-depth dialogue on the development of China-Turkey relations and literary mutual translation.

We deeply understand that the charm of civilization lies not in uniformity but in diversity; not in monologue but in dialogue. The exciting content of "Hangzhou and the World: 10 Paired Conversations" has been released on Hangzhoufeel's social media accounts. We hope you will enjoy your viewing.

SOURCE HZICC