Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

Kunming, a spring city with beautiful scenery and endless vitality, recently welcomed foreign guests from 40 countries. After visiting, they sincerely praised: "The high-quality development and natural ecology here are surprising!"

From November 18th to 19th, the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference was held in Kunming, Yunnan. Local government representatives from 40 countries gathered in Kunming to "visit friends", "talk about development" and "talk about innovation". From scientific and technological innovation and development to urban planning and construction, from "beautiful economy" to "making friends over tea"... they walked into places such as the large-scale railway maintenance equipment workshop, the Dounan flower trading market, the Dianchi Baofeng Peninsula Wetland, and felt the beauty of China's Spring City. The pulse of quality development.

On November 19, foreign guests visited the National Railway Large-Scale Maintenance Machinery Engineering Technology Research Center of China Railway Construction High-tech Equipment Co., Ltd.

On the 19th, foreign guests came to the National Railway Large-Scale Maintenance Machinery Engineering Technology Research Center of China Railway Construction High-tech Equipment Co., Ltd. to gain an in-depth understanding of the development of China's railway manufacturing. As a witness to the construction of the China-Laos railway, Wangthong Hashazhan, member of the Standing Committee of the Luang Prabang Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Luang Prabang Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Luang Prabang, listened particularly carefully.

"The railway construction cooperation between China and Laos has brought huge changes to the Lao people." Wangthong Hashazhan said that thanks to the China-Laos railway, the number of tourists in Luang Prabang has exceeded 1.5 million in the first ten months of this year. , doubled compared with last year. It is hoped that Laos and China will continue to deepen cooperation so that Laos can also strive to achieve new development in the field of equipment manufacturing.

The sun is warm and the blue waves of Dianchi Lake are rippling. Kunming Baofeng Peninsula Wetland Park serves as the outdoor exhibition area for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15). It brings together a variety of Yunnan native plants, fish and birds and is the epitome of Dianchi Lake protection and ecological restoration. , attracted the attention of many foreign guests.

Ahmed Halim, Deputy Minister of Local Governance of the Maldives, excitedly photographed a heron crossing the reed marsh at sunset and sighed: "It is hard to imagine that there is such a wetland in a city. I can feel it." To see the beauty of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.”

Green is the distinctive background color of Kunming, the spring city. Behind the clear water and green shores of Dianchi Lake is Kunming City’s unremitting efforts over the years to promote the ecological restoration and construction project of the Dianchi Lakeside. Systematic management projects have gradually restored the ecological environment of Dianchi Lake, and the "Pearl of the Plateau" has achieved ecological transformation, becoming a "poetry and distant place" that Chinese and foreign tourists yearn for.

On November 19, foreign guests visited the Dianchi Lake Protection and Management Science Center

At the Dianchi Lake Conservation and Governance Science Center, Nicholas Mutengu, deputy director of the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works of Zimbabwe, carefully recorded the contents of each exhibition hall. He believed that China’s ecological governance experience has important implications for Zimbabwe and hopes that this time it can be Kunming’s wisdom in lake management was brought back home to share with colleagues.

In the Yunnan Kunming Planning Museum, landmark buildings such as the Yunnan Art Theater and Kunming Hotel are displayed in the form of wooden models, vividly demonstrating Kunming's successful practice in urban functional planning.

On November 19, foreign guests visited the Planning Museum in Kunming, Yunnan

"Kunming's careful investment in urban aesthetics is amazing. Flowers and green spaces can be seen everywhere, and even the design of street lights is unique." Carol Lopez, honorary president of the International Sister Cities Association of the United States, said that the United States can also learn from Chinese cities. I learned a lot from my experience in construction and community planning.

In the Dounan Flower Trading Market, known as the "Flower Capital of Asia", "dream", "surprise" and "amazing" became high-frequency words that appeared during the communication process among the guests. For every 10 fresh cut flowers in China, 7 come from Dounan, the largest fresh cut flower trading market in Asia.

On November 19, foreign guests visited Dounan Flower Market

"On average, more than 6 million flowers are traded every day. Is there a mistranslation?" Sandy Ratna Shakya, the mayor of Banipa City in Nepal, found this number incredible, but the subsequent flower auction lifted his doubts. "Confuse".

At 3 p.m., the 12 large trading clocks in the two auction halls of Kunming Dounan Flower Auction Center kept beating, the 900 trading seats were all packed, and the prices of more than 40 categories of fresh-cut flowers, including roses, lilies, and lisianthus, scrolled on the screen in real time. . The fresh cut flowers sold will not only enter various cities in China, but also be exported to more than 50 countries and regions including Japan, Russia, and Thailand.

In addition to flowers, tea is also a beautiful business card of Yunnan. Using tea as a matchmaker and tea to make friends, the Yunnan caravan has embarked on the world-famous Tea Horse Road.

Jules Leila, executive director of the Alliance of Regions and Autonomous Regions of Côte d'Ivoire, appreciated the charm of Chinese tea culture during the visit. Sitting at the tea table, Jules Leila learned how to brew and taste Pu'er tea, and exchanged his experiences with Chinese friends from time to time.

"I'm looking forward to the 'two-way trip' between Côte d'Ivoire and China!" Jules Leila said that although Côte d'Ivoire does not produce tea, its cocoa production ranks among the top in the world. China has accumulated rich experience in agricultural machinery and equipment, and deep processing of agricultural products. In the future, cocoa beans from Cote d’Ivoire can be shipped to China for deep processing.

In Kunming, flowers and greenery accompany each other, science and technology blend with ecology, and the pulse of high-quality development complements the beauty of nature, making foreign guests forget to leave.

When leaving Kunming, Jules Leila had a tea set bought from Kunming in his suitcase. The saucer is printed with auspicious cloud patterns. He said that when he goes back to make tea, he will think of the white clouds floating in the blue sky of Kunming, the beautiful picture of the harmonious coexistence of man and nature by the Dianchi Lake, and the warm and hospitable Chinese friends.