Gyeongju-si and Yangzhou, China, Hold Online Meeting to 'Promote Friendship' … Joo Nak-young: "Leap Forward as Sister Cities"

Yangzhou Mayor Responds, "Let's Hold Calligraphy and Youth Exchange Events"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] On the 2nd, Gyeongju City announced that on the 29th of last month, Mayor Ju Nak-young held an online meeting with Mayor Zhang Baojuan of Yangzhou (揚州·Yangju), China, to discuss mutual cooperation measures.

Yangzhou, which signed a sister city agreement with Gyeongju in 2008, is a city of the Grand Canal renowned as an international trading port during the Tang Dynasty. It is famous as the place where the Silla-era scholar Choi Chi-won served as a government official and left numerous masterpieces such as "Tohwangsogeokmun".

At the meeting, Mayor Ju Nak-young explained Gyeongju’s COVID-19 quarantine achievements and vaccination status, and introduced key projects that Gyeongju is promoting in the fields of culture, tourism, and sports.

In particular, Mayor Ju proposed advancing the relationship between the two cities to the next level as sister cities by having a Yangzhou delegation participate in the "2022 East Asia Cultural Cities" event to be held in Gyeongju next year.

In response, Mayor Zhang Baojuan mentioned that next year marks the 30th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations and the "Year of Korea-China Cultural Exchange," and replied, "The two cities should jointly hold events such as calligraphy and painting exchange exhibitions and youth exchanges centered on Master Choi Chi-won."

Currently, Gyeongju City has set up a promotional booth at the "2021 Yangzhou International Horticultural Exposition" being held in Yangzhou City to introduce Gyeongju to Chinese visitors attending the expo. The Yangzhou International Horticultural Exposition, which opened on the 8th of last month, features over 60 gardens worldwide on a 23.34 million square meter site, providing visitors with a variety of attractions. This event will continue for six months until October 8.

Meanwhile, due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic making face-to-face exchanges difficult, Gyeongju City is strengthening solidarity with overseas sister and friendship cities and discussing cooperation measures for the post-COVID era by sequentially holding "Overseas Sister and Friendship City Mayors Online Meetings" with 18 cities in 11 countries this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.