From February 12 to 14, the delegates attending the 31st China-ASEAN Senior Officials' Consultation experienced Ningbo's traditional intangible cultural heritage. They visited several key sites in succession, including Ningbo City Exhibition Hall, Tianyige Museum, ZEEKR Smart Factory, and Fontile Group, with the aim of exploring Ningbo's city charm, regional culture and big strength in the manufacturing sector.
February 12 was the day of the Lantern Festival in China. When the dazzling street lights in the Sanjiangkou (Three-River-Junction) were just turned on, a unique "Elegant Cultural Display" was held in Laowaitan (the Old Bund) where intangible cultural artists performed traditional arts including celadon music, paper-cutting and dough modelling. The delegates were full of praise for the exquisite craftsmanship. As a traditional custom of the Lantern Festival, the venue was adorned with red lanterns, each of which had a piece of paper with a riddle written in both Chinese and English hanging beneath it. The delegates participated in guessing lantern riddles in high spirits, creating a relaxing and pleasant mood on site.
Outside the venue of the 31st Consultation, a photo exhibition called "Ningbo Impression" was held, comprehensively showcasing Ningbo's history, culture and economic progress. The carefully selected photos became a gateway for the delegation to learn about Ningbo's perfect integration of rich history and modern development, including the tranquility of the Moon Lake, the grandeur of the Xuedou Temple, the fishing village atmosphere of the Shipu Old Street, the thriving vitality of the Ningbo Zhoushan Port, and the innovation achievements in intelligent manufacturing. This cultural tour combined the traditional customs of the Lantern Festival with Ningbo's intangible cultural heritage and beautiful scenery, giving the delegates a strong sense of Ningbo's city charm and leaving them looking forward to the rest of the journey.
On the afternoon of February 13, guided by a docent, the delegates visited the Ningbo City Exhibition Hall, embarking on a cross-temporal "Dialogue with the City." The city's past, present and future unfolded before their eyes like a magnificent scroll painting. The exhibitions displayed the Neolithic Hemudu Culture 7,000 years ago, the modern rise of the world's largest port, as well as the city's rich cultural heritage and bold spirit of openness. As they walked through the exhibitions, the delegates paused from time to time—sometimes lost in thought, sometimes expressing their admiration—as if they were feeling the very heartbeat of the city.
On February 14, the delegates visited the Qianwan New Area, gaining a close-up look at Ningbo's big strength in intelligent manufacturing. In the spacious and well-lit workshop of the ZEEKR 5G Smart Factory, intelligent production lines operated at a high efficiency, with robotic arms assembling car bodies agilely and Automatic Guided Vehicles zipping through the facility. In the Fontile Group's products exhibition hall, the delegates were attracted by a series of smart kitchen appliances—stoves with intelligent temperature control, one-touch steam and bake cookers, range hoods with efficient air purification—which all left a deep impression on the delegates.
The final stop was the Tianyige Museum. With gray bricks, black-tiled roofs, intricately carved beams and painted rafters, it showcased both the delicacy of gardens on the Yangtze River Delta and the richness of book collection culture. In the book collection building, the delegates had the opportunity to appreciate some rare ancient books up close, and many delegates also tried their hand at Chinese traditional woodblock printing. The delegates noted that in the Tianyige Museum, they found the Chinese culture both extensive and profound and witnessed Ningbo's great emphasis on and hard efforts in cultural heritage preservation.
