A tea ceremony. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The 2024 Hangzhou-Taiwan Neighborhood Festival commenced with traditional cultural exchanges held in Jingshan village, Yuhang district, Hangzhou on March 19.

Over 60 residents from Hangzhou and Taiwan gathered to engage in cultural exchanges, neighborly bonding, and folk activities.

The opening ceremony began with a vibrant traditional dragon dance performance.

Following this, representatives from the two areas placed Jingshan tea and Taiwan water into tea cups and kicked off a forum on topics such as how to preserve traditional crafts and enhance cross-Strait cultural exchanges.

Embroidery teachers and pottery artisans from Taiwan, along with traditional tea-makers and tea whisk crafters from Hangzhou, introduced their traditional crafts and expressed hopes for future cooperation.

Yen, a Taiwan resident attending the festival for the first time, remarked on the warmth and hospitality she experienced. She also expressed a desire for her children to come to Hangzhou to study in the future.

Both Hangzhou and Taiwan have a rich history in tea culture. Yu Ronghua, head of Jingshan village, noted that over a decade ago, the village initiated exchanges with Taiwan residents through tea, which led to mutual learning, the creation of new products like pomelo tea, the extension of the tea industrial chain, and deeper emotional ties between Hangzhou and Taiwan.

During their stay in Hangzhou, the Taiwan participants will also visit sites such as the Archaeological Ruins City of Liangzhu, Dream Town, Longmen ancient town, and Jiande Folk Culture Museum to gain a deeper understanding of Hangzhou's achievements and prospects in industrial development, cultural preservation, and rural vitalization.

Photos reflecting the deep ties between Hangzhou and Taiwan. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]