Icheon Ceramic Festival Welcomes Delegations from Five Countries, Expanding Horizons for Global Cultural Exchange

40th Icheon Ceramic Festival

Strengthening Friendship with Sister Cities through "Ceramic Diplomacy"

The delegations from sister and friendly cities in Japan (Koka City), China (Jingdezhen, Wuxi), and the United States (Santa Fe, Santa Clara), who visited to congratulate the opening of the 40th Icheon Ceramic Festival, have taken steps to expand and sustain city-to-city exchanges.

The delegations from sister and friendly cities in Japan (Koka City), China (Jingdezhen, Wuxi), and the United States (Santa Fe, Santa Clara) visiting to congratulate the opening of the 40th Icheon Ceramic Festival are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Icheon City

The delegations attended the festival’s opening ceremony and major events, directly experiencing the excellence and competitiveness of Icheon’s ceramic culture by participating in the Ceramic Master Exhibition, the Archive Hall, and pottery experience programs. Additionally, through a welcome dinner, official meetings, and cultural exchange programs, the delegations created opportunities to further solidify friendly relations among the cities.

The Icheon Ceramic Festival has served as a platform to promote cultural, tourism, and youth exchanges between domestic and international cities. It is now established as a global cultural festival with delegations from cities worldwide participating.

First, the Santa Fe delegation from the United States visited Icheon Yes Park, where they discussed ways to activate craft exchanges, including providing detailed explanations on participation criteria and support for workshops and artists wishing to take part in the International Folk Art Market. Based on these discussions, both sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to achieving practical exchanges beginning the year after next.

The Santa Clara delegation held a meeting with the Icheon Office of Education to discuss in-depth plans for language and cultural exchanges based on online connectivity, as well as hybrid on- and offline mutual visit programs. This laid the groundwork for practical exchanges that will strengthen the global competencies of youth in both cities. The parties agreed to spare no administrative and educational cooperation to build a sustainable partnership.

The Koka City delegation from Japan took the opportunity of the 40th Icheon Ceramic Festival to review the achievements of exchanges with Icheon and reaffirmed the significance of friendly cooperation between the two cities.

The delegation visited the “40 Years of Clay and Fire: Archive Hall” to look back on the history and key outcomes of exchanges between Icheon and Koka City. In particular, since detailed records of private exchanges, which began in 1992 during the pre-merger Shigaraki Town era, are on display, this provided an opportunity to deeply appreciate the value of trust and cooperation that has been sustained over a long period.

The delegations then visited the Icheon Cultural Center to share the history and achievements of private exchanges between the two cities and discussed ways to expand exchanges in the future. Both sides agreed on the importance of ongoing private exchanges based on culture and the arts and expressed their commitment to continue cooperation in various fields.

The Jingdezhen delegation from China, recognizing the symbolic significance of exchanges between leading ceramic cities, toured the festival to observe both the traditions and modern developments of Icheon ceramics. They showed particular interest in the diverse ceramic exhibitions and experience programs, and highly appreciated the continuity and potential for cooperation in ceramic cultural exchanges between the two cities.

The Wuxi delegation also attended major festival events, examining the artistic and industrial value of Icheon ceramics and paying attention to the festival’s operation, which combines local culture and tourism. The delegation highly praised Icheon’s efforts to strengthen its city brand based on ceramic culture through the festival.

An Icheon City official stated, “Now in its 40th year, the Icheon Ceramic Festival serves as a cultural platform connecting tradition and modernity, as well as local and global communities. We will further enhance Icheon’s global city brand value through ongoing cooperation with domestic and international partner cities.”

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