Xinhua praises Yunnan as "practitioner of civilizations dialogue"

A cultural event titled "singing with joy all the way" was held on a cross-border passengers train on January 14 this year.

The article reads like this: "Come on, let's dance. Come on, we're close." On the China-Laos Railway during the Spring Festival travel rush, a cultural event titled "singing with joy all the way" was held on a cross-border passengers train on January 14 this year and Laotian singer Thinlamphone's performance of “Sound of Laos” impressed the international passengers a lot. This scene showed that the China-Laos Railway is not only a path of shared modernization but also a road of friendship and mutual understanding.

Yunnan has many more practices in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

The vibrant China-Cambodia Cultural Corridor

2024 marks the "China-Cambodia Year of People-to-People Exchanges." In June 2024, the China (Yunnan)-Cambodia Cultural Series on "Visiting Yunnan and Angkor" for Heritage Sites kicked off in Kunming. On August 6, 2024, the launch ceremony for the China-Cambodia Cultural Corridor was held at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Cambodia.

The Chinese-Cambodian artists dance together at the opening of the airport cultural corridor on August 6, 2024.

The China-Cambodia Cultural Corridor features a photo exhibition themed “Getting Close to Sites of World Heritages, Joining Hands for Mutual Learning of Civilizations”, a static exhibition area for heritages, and others. The photo exhibition displays 100 exquisite images, primarily from China and Cambodia, along with other Mekong countries. The static exhibition showcases intangible cultural heritage items from Yunnan and Cambodia under three themes: "embroidery," "carving" and "colors."

Yunnan province and Cambodia have enriched their exchange formats, continuously strengthening people-to-people bonds. Joint initiatives such as the "Beautiful China·Colorful Yunnan" cultural exchange and the "Visiting Yunnan and Angkor" for Heritage Sites cultural series provide new platforms for the public to appreciate the cultures of both places.

Following Zheng He’s steps to Saudi Arabia

This year marks the 620th anniversary of Zheng He’s voyages to the Indian Ocean.

Yunnan actors perform at the cultural event in the Saudi capital Riyadh on May 13.

Leveraging the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia and the inaugural "China-Saudi Cultural Year," Yunnan hosted a series of events in Riyadh and Jeddah in May 2025, including a "Tea for Harmony" cultural salon and a "Many-Splendored Yunnan Life" cultural tourism promotion. Also, the “Following Zheng He’s steps to Saudi Arabia” media Tour was launched.

Through photo exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) displays and song-and-dance performances, the activities showcased Yunnan’s natural wonders and cultural richness. Saudi officials and international friends savored the province’s unique coffee and tea during the events, while Yunnan and Saudi media jointly built up platforms to share stories of cultural exchange. The events also brought a taste of hometown tea and warm greetings to Yunnan expats working in Saudi Arabia, soothing their nostalgia.

Jointly rolling out the World Heritages Tour Program

Launched in November 2024 by Publicity Department of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Yunnan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the World Heritages Tour Program aims to promote heritage conservation and sustainable tourism development. Through fostering more international sister-city ties, the program focuses on Yunnan’s six UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Yunnan folk songers meet their Indonesian counterparts.

So far, the program has been rolled out in Laos, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Indonesia under diverse themes. It will reach Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in July this year.

In May 2025, Yu Wulin, a "Chinese ICH Person of the Year 2024" and provincial inheritor of the Nu ethnic folk song "Oh-Dede," traveled to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta as part of the “Getting Close to Sites of World Heritages, Joining Hands for Mutual Learning of Civilizations” cultural events. He warmly invited Malaysians and Indonesians to Yunnan for the Nu ethnic lifestyle in Nujiang, sparking a keen interest among international travelers.

By YICC reporters