On October 31, the “Finest Gifts from China” Cultural and Tourism Trade Promotion Activity (Intangible Cultural Heritage and Time-Honored Brands Special Session) was held in Kaifeng, Henan. The event adopted an integrated online and offline format, combining exhibition, performance, sales, and interactive experiences. Through domestic and international platforms, it featured live broadcasts with images and videos, reaching a total audience of nearly 900,000, including 510,000 overseas viewers.

Photo courtesy of the event organizer.

The event was hosted by the Culture and Tourism Department of Henan Province and organized by the National Cultural Export Base, Cultural, Technological and Innovation Park, Administration of Kaifeng Area of China (Henan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Kaifeng , the Kaifeng Municipal Bureau of Commerce, China Tourism News, and CCMG Cultural Creative Development Co., Ltd.(Beijing), with support from the National Base for International Cultural Trade Cooperation Alliance.

The event focused on showcasing and promoting a selection of high-quality intangible cultural heritage and time-honored brand products and services that embody the essence of Eastern aesthetics, integrate modern design concepts, and meet international market demand. It also introduced inbound tourism routes and consumption services featuring intangible cultural heritage and time-honored brands to global audiences , vividly telling Chinese stories, demonstrating Chinese craftsmanship, and sharing Chinese lifestyle aesthetics. The event aimed to promote the high quality development of international cultural trade, strengthen cultural trade platforms, and advance the globalization of China’s cultural industry.

A total of 306 enterprises submitted products, services, and tourism routes for participation. Among them, 161 representative projects with both profound cultural heritage and strong international market potential were carefully selected and compiled into a promotional handbook.

Additionally, a “Song Dynasty Elegance” lifestyle market was set up, recreating scenes of Song-style aesthetic living through an integrated model of exhibition, performance, sales, and interactive experiences. Intangible cultural heritage and time-honored brands from 26 provinces across China participated, with a total of 256 booths, fully demonstrating the market appeal of heritage brands and the broad scope of cultural exchange.

“Song Dynasty Elegance” Lifestyle Market – Photo courtesy of the organizer

At the event, six intangible cultural heritage and time-honored brand enterprises conducted product roadshows, showcasing items such as Henan’s century-old Baiji Peanut Cake, Ningxia’s intangible heritage hemp weaving, and Beijing’s Kalim Tea. Three related organizations promoted inbound tourism routes, including Kaifeng-themed intangible cultural heritage tours and the Jianye Movie Town itinerary.

During the discussion session, four industry experts focused on key topics such as intangible cultural heritage preservation and innovation, cultural export strategies, and legal risk prevention. They provided in-depth insights combining theoretical perspectives with practical value, laying a solid foundation for the healthy development of cultural and tourism trade.

Promotion of Henan’s Century-Old Baiji Peanut Cake. Photo courtesy of the organizer.

Promotion of Ningxia Intangible Heritage Hemp Weaving – Photo courtesy of the organizer

Henan Weiqi Promotion – Photo courtesy of the organizer

Promotion of Kaifeng Inbound Tourism Intangible Cultural Heritage-Themed Routes Photo courtesy of the organizer.

Nearly 300 participants attended the event, including officials from cultural, tourism, and commerce departments across more than 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), representatives from intangible cultural heritage and time-honored brand enterprises, cultural trade companies, as well as experts, scholars, and media personnel.

Event Site – Photo courtesy of the organizer

The “Finest Gifts from China” Cultural and Tourism Trade Promotion Activity integrates domestic and international, online and offline resources to showcase, promote, and trade a selection of high-quality cultural and tourism products with distinctive Chinese characteristics and style that are popular in international markets. The event provides a platform for exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises, promoting the expansion and optimization of cultural trade, while enhancing the international competitiveness and recognition of Chinese companies and brands.

Prior to this, the “Finest Gifts from China” Cultural and Tourism Trade Promotion Activity has held 15 special sessions, with growing attention and participation both domestically and internationally, steadily advancing the development of cultural trade.

Following a face-to-face meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and ROK President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju, CGTN published an article highlighting how head-of-state diplomacy sets a new course for China–ROK relations and how the two countries can strengthen strategic communication, deepen cooperation, and promote mutual understanding for the benefits of both peoples and regional peace and development.

Just after dawn in Jeju, the Republic of Korea (ROK), crates of fresh produce are loaded onto a vessel bound for Qingdao in east China.

Launched on October 16, the Qingdao-Jeju container line is Jeju’s first regular international shipping route. Thanks to this route, a journey that once took two weeks can now be completed overnight.

More than just a faster trade link, it signifies a renewed rhythm in China-ROK cooperation. Two weeks later, on November 1, that momentum found its political echo when Chinese President Xi Jinping and ROK President Lee Jae-myung met in Gyeongju, ROK, to chart the next stage of bilateral ties.

At the meeting, President Xi described China and the ROK as “important close neighbors that cannot be moved away and cooperation partners that cannot be separated.” He stressed that “promoting the sound and steady development of China-ROK relations is always a right choice that serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and conforms to the trend of the times.” Xi’s words set the tone for a relationship that, though tested by changes, continues to move forward with mutual respect and mutual benefit.

‘Important close neighbors that cannot be moved away‘

During the meeting, President Xi called for strengthening strategic communication and consolidating the foundation of mutual trust, urging both sides to respect each other’s social systems and development paths while properly handling differences through friendly consultations. He also emphasized joint efforts to uphold true multilateralism and promote a fairer global governance system.

High-level exchanges have warmed up in recent months. In August, President Lee sent a special delegation led by former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug to China for a four-day visit, carrying a personal letter from the ROK president with a clear message: to put bilateral relations back on a stable and constructive track. In September, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing, followed by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s first official visit in his current role, signaling Seoul’s commitment to dialogue and renewed trust.

Niu Xiaoping, assistant research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, sees the Gyeongju meeting as more than a routine encounter. Niu said President Xi’s visit played “a bridging and guiding role,” helping China and the ROK “recalibrate and define a new positioning” for their partnership.

‘Cooperation partners that cannot be separated’

Economic ties have long been the backbone of the relationship. China has been the ROK’s largest trading partner for 21 consecutive years, while the ROK has regained its position as China’s second-largest trading partner. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $328.08 billion, up 5.6 percent year on year.

President Xi called for accelerating the second phase of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement and tapping the cooperation potential in emerging fields such as AI, biomedicine, green industries and the silver economy.

“To help one’s neighbor succeed is to help oneself,” said Xi. Lee, for his part, stressed that economic cooperation between the two countries is “vital and indispensable” when answering a question from a CMG reporter.

President Xi also highlighted the importance of better communicating with the media and the general public, sending more positive messages and checking tendencies that may harm the relationship.

This emphasis on public perception has found concrete expression in people-to-people exchanges. Since China introduced visa-free entry for ROK visitors last November, and the ROK followed with a temporary visa exemption for Chinese group tourists this fall, travel between the two nations has surged. People from the ROK made near 2 million trips to China from January to August this year, a 40-percent increase year on year.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11-01/How-China-ROK-leaders-open-new-prospects-for-ties-at-Gyeongju-meeting-1HWZZsLEXh6/p.html