As China's seven-day National Day holidays continue, the nationwide cultural tourism industry is witnessing a boom. The total number of domestic tourist visits reached 104 million on Wednesday, with cultural sites like museums and red tourist attractions becoming top destinations for the public.

Iconic sites such as the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Sanxingdui Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, have launched special exhibitions dedicated to the holiday season. Featuring a total of 126 pieces of relics, the Chengdu museum's collaboration with the Nanchang Relic Museum for Haihun Principality of Han Dynasty offers visitors an "multi-dimensional" experience to China's archaeological culture. 

"I'm stunned by the bronze and gold artifacts discovered from both sites. Their differences made me see the dimensions, like a kaleidoscope, [into] our ancient cultures," Jia Yuenan, a 35-year-old traveler from Chongqing Municipality, told the Global Times. 

Jia is one of those tourists have who made a reservation "two weeks in advance." Along with the facility in Chengdu, a large number of stellar museums nationwide have been fully booked until the end of the holidays on October 7. In response to the rising demand, many sites have launched "extended opening hour" policy. 

Several provincial sites such as the Henan Museum, Hubei Provincial Museum and Hunan Museum have extended their opening hours ranging from 6 pm to 7 pm. The schedule remains flexible as well. Zhang Xiaoyun, the director of the Hubei Provincial Museum said that the museum's extended opening hours were put in place based on analyzing booking numbers and the potential visitor traffic flow in Wuhan, capital of Hubei. 

"Aside the prolonged opening hour policy, 'night tours' and 'shuttle buses' are all means being deployed by museums to increase capacity. These measures show how experienced the industry is helping meet increased public engagement and enthusiasm," cultural sociologist Xu Shuming, told the Global Times. 

The museum sector is one of the few truly experienced in managing visitors' enthusiasm for culture. Many regions and cities have adopted a "local culture+" strategy to offer visitors unique and niche cultural tourism experiences.

More than 1,100 cultural events and shows were launched in East China's Fujian Province for engaging visitors to its Hakka culture, the Marine Silk Road culture and also the province's tea tradition. Dedicated to China's gold stone sealing and calligraphic cultures, several exhibitions showcasing "Xiling Yinshe," also known as the Xiling Seal Art Society has been launched at the Xiling Wulin Art Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. 

"Wukong + tourism" has become the Shanxi Province's new tourism strategy after the game made its small Xixian county a trending destination for young visitors. 

Catering to the patriotic gist of the National Day holidays, red tourism attractions were packed with visitors, primarily young people. Unlike traditional sightseeing, sites such as the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai have introduced music events to attract visitors.

"Cultural tourism is about providing visitors with immersive experiences, and China's prolific and diverse cultures can sustain the growth of this particular touristic sector," Xu the expert told the Global Times. 

Dancers from the most renowned troupes in the world performed by the seaside in Qinhuangdao, North China's Hebei Province for the Move to Move International Dance Festival, which ran from Sunday to Tuesday during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.     

For choreographer Paul Lightfoot, the festival marked the debut of his experimental work with Chinese dancers for the Specially Commissioned Co-creation section at Aranya, a well-known artistic community. 

"I've never had this opportunity to work with Chinese dancers," Lightfoot, former artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater (Netherlands Dance Theater), told the Global Times. 

"For me, this has been the most beautiful part of this festival. Personally, it is the exchange you see because I could really share the things that I do in the ways I think and the ethics and the ideas and the imagination with them."

Chinese dancers are quite young when it comes to cultural exchanges and they "are one of the best casts I have ever seen. We've had a fantastic journey together."

At the invitation of the festival's founders, Yin Fang and Wu Mengke, the Englishman brought his idea about something "50 percent about the ballet and 50 percent about ethics" to the stage at Aranya.  

"So we talk a lot and because they're young, I want to feed them something that they can keep for all their work," he added. "It's not educational, it's an exchange."

International festivals like the one in Aranya is a "perfect opportunity to find our friends, to meet new ones and to share our experiences together," said dancer Wu Mengke. 

Having been to Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing, Lightfoot noted that China has a fascinating culture and he has seen "so many changes, and I feel very lucky. I wish my family and my friends could see and feel the same things I've experienced. It just feels great to be in the culture."

Culture and exchanges connect us with different cultural backgrounds, he added. 

Ben Yuechen, a 10-year-old Chinese boy with a single arm, achieved a surprising monumental feat by setting a Guinness World Record in August.

He completed 21 burpees in one minute, the most in the AA2 disability classification, on the sidelines of a Spartan kids race held in Chongli, North China's Hebei Province.

Though now he is a world record holder, Ben, nicknamed Youyou, told the Global Times that he is not satisfied with the result.

"Actually, I am not satisfied with the result as I believe I can do more than 30 burpees in one minute," Ben said. "If there's another chance I will for sure challenge my record."

The burpee exercise, which combines squats, jumps, and push-ups, posed a significant challenge due to his disability.

During his record attempt, Ben faced the dual challenges of maintaining balance and performing each burpee correctly.

His mental fortitude was crucial. He repeatedly encouraged himself to keep going despite the fatigue.

"I told myself not to give up because I really wanted to win," Ben said.

His mother Cai Xiumei was confident that Youyou's ability was a driving force for the successful attempt, though she admitted that Ben's high self-expectations led to a few errors during the attempt.

Born without his left forearm in Hai'an, East China's Jiangsu Province, Ben has never let his physical condition limit his ambitions, as the Guinness World Record was not the first time Ben made national headlines.

Prior to the record attempt, Ben participated in the Spartan kids race in Shanghai in April, where he completed 26 obstacles in a five-kilometer race and finished second in his age group.

This experience further fueled his passion for overcoming challenges and achieving his goals.

"I'm not worried about him getting discouraged as he loves to take on challenges," Ben's mom told the Global Times.

Skip rope challenge

At a young age, Ben's family recognized his potential and encouraged him to explore various sports to build his strength and balance. His initial challenge was learning to skip rope, a requirement for physical education classes.

Casual outdoor activities in his early childhood years slowly morphed into a focused effort to build his mental and physical endurance.

"Sports became the vehicle for teaching him about persistence," Cai said.

"It's about always pushing yourself to the next level."

Despite numerous attempts and after a video that went viral showing his persistence and struggles, Ben's efforts caught the attention of Dong Jiong, a national para-badminton team coach.

Despite the logistical challenges - such as the nearly two-hour drive from Hai'an to Nantong for training - the family's determination was unwavering.

Cai recounted the long trips and rigorous training sessions, emphasizing Ben's passion for the sport and his resilience through the hardships.

Ben had to train six hours on a weekend day to catch up with others. Now the family has relocated to downtown Nantong to make it easier for Youyou to train on weekdays instead of relying on a single weekend day of training.

Speaking about the decision to relocate, Cai said she is equally committed to her son's academic and emotional development.

"Our decision to move was not just for sports. We wanted to ensure he was in a place where he could develop all aspects of his personality," Cai said.

Additionally, Ben has a unique aspiration related to technology. His family owns a 3D printer, and Ben hopes to use it to print a prosthetic arm for himself.

This innovative goal reflects his proactive approach to overcoming physical limitations and his desire to enhance his abilities through technology.
Badminton dream

Ben started playing badminton relatively late. Moreover, in the beginning, he often finished matches with single-digit scores.

Despite initial fears and challenges, Ben embraces each opportunity to test his skills against formidable opponents.

"The more difficult it gets, the more I want to challenge myself," Ben told the Global Times, highlighting his evolving mindset.

When asked about his favorite athletes, Ben immediately named Denmark's Viktor Axelsen and China's Lin Dan.

However, he quickly noted that Malaysian player Lee Chong Wei is also great.

"Lee lost to Lin so many times, but kept going and still wanted to win. I think he is very tenacious," Ben said.

Inspired by the recent success of the Chinese para-badminton team at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where they won nine gold medals, Ben dreams of becoming a Paralympic champion himself.

"I will keep practicing and am confident I can achieve this goal," he said, before noting that watching the Asian Para Games in person in 2023 in Hangzhou, Jiangsu's neighboring Zhejiang Province strengthened his resolve.

"When I saw a player fall down from a wheelchair during a badminton match when hitting the shuttlecock, he tried his best to recover and play. That scene still lingers in my mind and reminds me to do my best," Ben said.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Friday expressed strong opposition to the European Union (EU)'s imposition of anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), after the EU voted to impose definitive tariffs on Chinese EV imports.

MOFCOM said that China's position is consistent and clear: China firmly opposes the EU's unfair, non-compliant and unreasonable protectionist practices regarding the EU's anti-subsidy case against China's EVs, and it firmly opposes the EU's imposition of anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese EVs.

These remarks came after the EU held a vote on whether to impose a five-year countervailing duty on Chinese EVs on Friday local time. A statement released by the European Commission (EC) showed that the commission's proposal to impose definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles from China has obtained the necessary support from EU Member States for the adoption of tariffs. 

The ministry said that China has always maintained the utmost sincerity in properly handling differences through dialogue and consultation. 

China and the EU have held more than 10 technical consultations at the bureau level and two vice-ministerial consultations regarding the anti-subsidy case for EVs since the end of June. 

On September 19, Minister Wang Wentao held a comprehensive, in-depth and constructive meeting with and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis. 

Both sides clearly expressed their political will to resolve differences through consultations and agreed to initiate price commitment consultations to avoid escalation of trade frictions. 

In the short 14 days that followed, the China-EU technical teams conducted six rounds of technical consultations. China repeatedly listened to the demands and opinions of both Chinese and European industries and demonstrated an open and cooperative attitude throughout the consultation process, showing maximum flexibility, the ministry said. 

By adhering to a market-driven approach and fostering full competition and continuous independent innovation, Chinese EVs have enhanced the quality supply of global green public goods, making significant contributions to the global response to climate change. 

The EU's protectionist practices seriously violate WTO rules, disrupt normal international trade order, hinder China-EU trade and investment cooperation, delay the EU's green transition, and will also negatively impact global efforts to combat climate change, the ministry said.

MOFCOM also said that China firmly opposes the EU's final ruling draft but has also noted the EU's expressed political will to continue resolving issues through negotiation. 

MOFCOM said that the China-EU technical teams will continue negotiations on October 7. China hopes the EU will recognize that imposing tariffs will not solve any problems; rather, it will only undermine and hinder the confidence and determination of Chinese enterprises in investing and cooperating with the EU. 

The Chinese side urges the EU to genuinely demonstrate practical actions to implement its political will and return to the correct path of resolving trade frictions through consultation. It will also take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU also expressed deep disappointment with this voting outcome on Friday and is strongly dissatisfied with the EU's adoption of protectionist trade measures.

The Chamber strongly encourages the EU to approach the final measures cautiously, delay the implementation of these tariffs, and prioritize resolving disputes and trade tensions through consultations and dialogue, according to an announcement sent to the Global Times.

Bakuo Street in Lhasa Old Town is a place that every visitor to Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region can't miss as the "heart of Lhasa" is not only a well-known bustling bazaar for tourists but also a place to chase dreams and make them a reality for young people.    

A new TV series City of Sunlight is set to air on China's state TV and streaming sites including Mango TV starting on October 2, as a part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. 

"As China's first TV series about contemporary Tibetan stories, the series aims to present truth, objectivity and authenticity," show producer Bao Jianhua told the Global Times. "Every character in the drama is based on true stories. We are telling a story about chasing dreams and realizing self-worth through a relaxed narrative method."

Taking place along the Holy Road, which preserves the traditional appearance and life of the ancient city of Lhasa, six young men, including Suolang, follow their hearts to turn their dreams into reality. 

"Their sunshine, optimism and perseverance are like seeds of highland barley, taking root and sprouting in the snowy plateau, bringing greenery, hope and strength to the land," Bao added. "It is very precious and I hope that the ideal light can be passed on to more young people."

In order to better tell the story and find more inspiration, the cast and crew, including Bao, scriptwriter Yu Xiaoqian and others, paid a visit to Xizang in October 2021. They interviewed hundreds of people of all ages and professions, and took down more than 1 million words of interview notes, which laid a solid foundation for the creation of this realistic work. 

These life stories are also connected to the ancient and vast natural and cultural features in Xizang. In the series, the audience can not only see the beauty of Lhasa's landmark buildings such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka, and other ancient buildings in the old city, but also learn about Tibetan opera, Tibetan food and clothing, embroidery, horse racing, thangka and other cultural heritages of the region. 

For scriptwriter Yu Xiaoqian, the biggest problem that he encountered was "How to tell stories of contemporary Lhasa," "How can we make the people in Lhasa recognize that this is a representation of their lives," and "How to create emotional resonance with the audience."

First of all, they abandoned the perspective of curious tourists. Instead, they sought to tell the stories from the perspective of the local people. According to Yu, they set the story in a yard on Bakuo Street for the traditional side of the show and chose local high buildings to present the modern side. 

Li Wei, a doctor from Beijing Anzhen Hospital, used to be a member of a medical aid team to Xizang. His story has inspired the character Yin Wei in the series. After seeing the series, Li said, "It helped me travel back in time in Lhasa. The audiences can immerse themselves in the scenes and empathize with these roles." 

In recent years, a number of Chinese TV series have promoted tourism in local areas across the country, such as Rising with The Wind, Blossoms Shanghai and To the Wonder. 

At the "Promoting High-Quality Development" press conference on Friday, Zhu Yonglei, a vice minister of the National Radio and Television Administration, said that the administration has established a collaboration mechanism with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Watching upcoming series such as City of Sunlight, audiences can enjoy the ups and downs of the story, while appreciating the beautiful scenery in Xizang, he noted.

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended a China-U.S. youth cultural and sports exchange activity at Beijing No. 8 High School on Tuesday afternoon.

During the activity, Peng had a cordial exchange with a delegation of young people from the U.S. state of Washington. She welcomed the teachers and students to visit China, expressing the hope that the young people of the two countries will know each other better and inject positive energy into bilateral relations.

Peng watched a friendly match between Chinese and U.S. youth basketball teams and presented commemorative medals to the players of both sides.

Peng also watched a video documenting the delegation's visit to various places in China. American student representatives shared their unforgettable experiences during the visit, which has helped them learn more about different ethnic customs and the fine traditional Chinese culture.

The visit has a rich and colorful itinerary, helps foster a profound friendship between the American students and their Chinese peers, and will sure leave a deep impression on everyone, Peng said.

Noting that the future of China-U.S. relations rests on the young people, Peng expressed the hope that the American students will share their experiences with their families, friends and classmates when they return to the United States, carry home the friendship of the Chinese people, and help nurture the "tree of friendship" between the two peoples.

At the end of the activity, the Chinese and U.S. teenagers sang Chinese and English songs together. And Peng joined them for a group photo in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

In November 2023, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco an initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span.

The delegation of nearly 100 teachers and students from more than 10 high schools in the state of Washington came to China at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The Yangtze River Cultural and Artistic Season officially commenced in Wuhan, the capital city of Central China's Hubei Province, with a spectacular opening ceremony on Saturday night, featuring a dazzling fireworks display, a heart-stirring drone performance, and a vibrant light show along the Yangtze River banks. The event committee stated on Sunday that a series of cultural events are scheduled to take place during the season to better promote the culture and history of the Yangtze River.

During the opening ceremony, thousands of drones fluidly changed formations in the sky, showcasing landmarks from China's thirteen provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities along the Yangtze River, including the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei and Hongya Cave in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Fireworks lit up the night sky, creating a poetic and picturesque scene, prompting locals to capture the moment with their smartphones.

"I could deeply feel the profound cultural heritage of the Yangtze River basin, and I'm proud to live by the Yangtze River," said a 70-year-old resident surnamed Zhang, according to the report of people.cn.

On Sunday, the organizing committee of the Yangtze River Cultural and Artistic Season published a "Thank you" letter to the citizens of Wuhan on a local WeChat public account. The letter emphasized the season's goal of preserving the Yangtze River's cultural legacy and creating a platform for exchange, highlighting its millennia-old cultural heritage.

The committee expressed gratitude to the people of Wuhan for their enthusiastic participation, which has made the city "more vibrant and charming." The letter praised the local community for their "civility, hospitality, and orderly conduct," which have enhanced Wuhan's image as a civilized city.

According to the letter, the Yangtze River Cultural and Artistic Season will last for two months, featuring themed art exhibitions, film weeks, stage art exhibitions, choir weeks, reading weeks, literature weeks, and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, showcasing the essence and charm of the Yangtze River culture.

Pan Junjie, the person in charge of the film week, told the Global Times on Sunday that over 100 films, including blockbusters like The Wandering Earth series and The Battle at Lake Changjin, and documentaries related to Yangtze River culture, have been aired at more than 400 locations across Hubei Province.

He add that a 3D documentary, New Three Gorges, will be launched on Thursday to further promote the culture of the Yangtze River.

One of the highlights during the event is that the Yangtze River Culture Institute was inaugurated on Saturday. The institute aims to promote the creation and dissemination of cultural products and symbols that embody the values of Yangtze River culture. 

Huang Taiyan, a research fellow from Wuhan University, pointed out at a seminar that the Yangtze River culture is one of the most representative and influential cultures of Chinese civilization, containing the civilization genes of the Chinese nation and irrigating the common spiritual homeland of the Chinese nation. 

He expressed hope that the institute could become "a key international communication base for Chinese culture," according to a document the local publicity department sent to the Global Times on Sunday.

"The work of aiding Xinjiang and Xizang serves as a crucial means to enhance interactions, exchanges and integration among various Chinese ethnic groups, thereby reinforcing the development of a community with a shared future and building a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation," Pan Yue, director of China's National Ethnic Affairs Commission, remarked at a conference on the current progress achieved in supporting the development of the ­Xinjiang and Xizang autonomous regions on Thursday.

Pan also stressed the critical role of cultural works, noting that local authorities should enhance the charm of the fine traditional culture of the two regions through diverse cultural products and methods, and concentrate on telling stories regarding the Chinese national community.

At the conference held in Beijing, deputies of local ethnic affairs commissions of different places around China such as Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, South China's Guangdong Province and Central China's Hubei Province addressed the endeavors and achievements of ethnic affairs in the two regions under the support of the whole country.

Thanks to abundant cultural resources from other places and joint efforts, more than 1,000 cultural projects and almost 900 exhibitions on specific subjects have been launched in Xinjiang, providing millions of ­local residents with plenty of quality cultural products, according to the local ethnic affairs commissions.

Behind the data is a wealth of diverse and compelling stories that foster cultural and artistic exchanges among various ethnic groups.

During the folk-art season themed "Play the tambourine and sing a song" that kicked off in August, 53 teams of more than 1,700 folk artists from different regions and ethnic groups gathered in Xinjiang and presented a string of parade performances. Professional opera troupes also brightened the event by virtue of an artistic feast involving some classic operas such as the Kunqu Opera The Peony Pavilion.

Other activities, including exhibitions regarding cultural creative products and fairs teeming with booths featuring diverse intangible cultural heritages, have also been carried out.

Supportive cultural projects have also been launched in Xizang. A branch of the Guangzhou Library was opened to the public in September 2023 in Bomi county through collaboration between the Guangzhou Library and the county library. 

A selection of 10,000 books from Guangzhou served as the basic collection for the branch library, which is the first one built by the Guangzhou Library outside of Guangdong Province. The library provides free book lending service to the public and is open for at least 63 hours a week, according to the Guangzhou Daily.

An exhibition of imperial court ceremonies and life during the Qing ­Dynasty (1644-1911) has been presented by the Palace Museum in Beijing for Xinjiang residents since November 2021. It prominently showcases over 120 exquisite gold and jade artifacts from the collection of the Palace ­Museum used by the Qing Dynasty imperial family. 

These items include various types of artifacts such as ceremonial vessels, ritual implements, decorative items, and daily necessity items. These cultural relics bear witness to the process of integration and development among various ethnic groups in the country, and fully demonstrate the close connections throughout the history of the Chinese nation, including the diverse ethnic groups in ­Xinjiang, as well as China's shared culture and intertwined roots, the Guangming Daily reported. 

To promote bright film works and talented filmmakers in Xinjiang and Xizang, the Beijing International Film Festival has made films about the stories of these two areas one of its important sections.

"Compared to economic support such as infrastructure construction and investment, cultural support can make an impact similar to how the spring wind turns clouds into rain, nourishing the spiritual life of local residents in Xinjiang and Xizang," Xiong Kunxin, a professor at Minzu University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Xiong noted that besides enhancing exchanges among various ethnic groups, the cultural aid projects such as world heritage applications can also better conserve ethnic groups' unique culture and boost people's confidence in their ethnic heritage.

To address challenges in other sectors that affect residents of Xinjiang and Xizang, several aid projects have been launched, including training preschool teachers and enhancing medical techniques, all of which have significantly improved the quality of life for local residents.

The dragon-scale bookbinding is a traditional Chinese way of bookbinding with a history of over 1,000 years. Passed down from generation to generation, the completed artworks are known to resemble dragons as each page looking like a scale. 

The art form, which showcases the art and wisdom of ancient Chinese people, will be on display at a new exhibition featuring new works by inheritor Zhang Xiaodong at Shanghai's UOB Art Gallery. 

Zhang's new exhibition Rise, which is set to open to the public in mid-September, reveals his innovation and exploration as the traditional art meets modern life. 

His paintings explore the ­concept of breathing in Chinese art. 

A highlight of the exhibition will be his dragon-scale bookbinding version of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, a recreation of 230 images of scholar Sun Wen from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Editor's Note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time proposed the principles of "zhen shi qin cheng" for China's Africa policy in a speech in 2013 at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania.

Eleven years have passed since that momentous day in the history of China-Africa ties, but the principles endure. They have not only underpinned China's engagement with Africa in numerous fruitful cooperation projects, but also helped people get closer through exchanges and deepening friendships.

In areas of cultural heritage conservation and archaeology, China and Africa are working together to boost cooperation among Global South countries and contribute to the world with their example. In this issue of the special coverage of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa ­Cooperation (FOCAC), Global Times reporters Li Yuche and Xu Liuliu share more details about the latest updates in this cooperation.
A total of 1,223 natural and cultural sites across 168 countries are currently documented in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These sites are diverse, but one category that remains rare among them is hydrological heritage. Such a heritage epitomizes ancient human wisdom for managing waters to develop agricultural civilizations.

The picture of such a rare heritage is expected to be made clearer in the coming years, as the sites of the Rawda Island Nilometer in Egypt and the Baiheliang Ancient Hydrological Inscription in China are applying for a joint World Heritage title in 2026.

'Close inner bond'

Located in Cairo and Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality respectively, one similarity shared between the Rawda Island Nilometer and the Baiheliang Ancient Hydrological Inscription is 1,200-year-old well-preserved history.

The hydrological inscription Baiheliang, also known as the White Crane Ridge, was a 1,600-meter-long stone ridge in the Yangtze River. The stone ridge was dubbed an "underwater wonder" by UNESCO due to its coverage of 160 ancient inscriptions that document the river's water level records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The heritage represents how ancient Chinese people infused art into water engineering, since such inscriptions have been done in multiple Chinese calligraphic styles. Fish patterns are also engraved on stone tablets, to which the distance between the fishes' eyes and the water surface was an indicator of the river's lower flow.

When visiting the site in Chong­qing, Ahmed Rehema, Associate Minister of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said that he was "deeply impressed by the inscriptions and stone fish carvings that were created by Chinese people in more than 1,000 years ago."

While noting the site marks one of the "world's oldest hydrological works of research," underwater archaeologist He Qiyi told the Global Times that human being's ingenuity in water management often dwells in the oldest civilizations in the world with developed agricultural traditions.

Around AD700, Egyptians had also harnessed managing river resources as represented by the Nilometer in Cairo. The Nilometer was used to measure flood levels, and the one on the Rawda Island is iconic because it was a marble octagonal column that was still functional in the 1950s to 1960s.

Ancient texts documenting vegetation growth and water parameters were engraved on the hydrological heritage. Recalling his visit to the site, Jiang Rui, director of the Baiheliang Underwater Museum, told the Global Times that he has seen a "close inner bond" between the two hydrological heritages.

Giving explanations on the two sites' modern value has been a focal issue ever since 2021 when a "feasibility study" of the two sites' application was carried out. In 2023, a Baiheliang-themed academic forum was launched to tackle the major issue of "discovering the two sites' similarities," he told the Global Times.

"We aim to finish the compilation of our joint ­application in 2025, and make an official application to the UNESCO in 2026," Jiang revealed to the Global Times.

Only a beginning

Years of preparation for the joint project have deepened exchanges between heritage experts in China and Egypt. In his experience of visiting the Baiheliang Underwater Museum, Rehema said that he was able to grasp China's "advanced technologies and mind-sets" for cultural relic conservation.

"Such experiences can inspire us to manage our underwater heritages in Egypt," Rehema emphasized.

In 2009, the Baiheliang Underwater Museum was built as the world's only dive-free museum under the water. It allows visitors to take 90-meter-long escalators in a glass tunnel that goes 40 meters under the Yangtze River.

"Our collaboration with Egypt enhances the developing countries' discourse power in interpreting their importance in protecting cultural heritages worldwide," Jiang said.

Sharing the exchange spirits encouraged by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, apart from Egypt, China has become a partner to African countries in heritage conservation, arts exchange, and archaeology.

Focusing on Paleolithic archeological sites, China and Kenya recently signed a six-year plan starting from 2024 onward to support multiple excavations to be carried out in the two countries.

In 2022, China, for the first time, became the guest country of honor for the Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar, Senegal.

That occasion marked how China and Senegal's long-standing civilizations are still a source of "cultural pride" for contemporary artists, while "making new dialogues regardless of territorial limitations," Yue Jieqiong, the Chinese pavilion's curator at the event told the Global Times.