Zhu Linshou, chairman of the 5,000-Year Cultural Park

The 5000-Year Cultural Expo Park is a theme park showcasing Chinese culture. It aims at creating an art gallery where tourists from home and abroad will marvel at Oriental civilization. Our goal is to let foreign friends enjoy the essence of China's 5,000 years of civilization, and hopefully they can share more understanding of Chinese culture after touring the Expo.

Since its opening, the park has shouldered the task of spreading Chinese culture to the outside world. We are also making innovations to let tourists from home and abroad to gain access and feel the profound Chinese culture through tourism. We firmly believe that the park will contribute greatly to promoting the integration of Chinese culture with world culture for a blooming future.

For the upcoming Phase-III project of the expo, we will reserve 100 mu (6.7 hectares) of land to set up an International Park of Cultural Exchange. This will bring in exotic flavor on the ancient land of China.

Tourists will not only enjoy China's 5,000 years of civilization, but also the culture essentials of other countries, which is good for international cultural exchange. Meanwhile, we plan to organize our staff to visit other countries and participate in multilateral cultural exchange events, so as to borrow and learn from the cultures of the world, absorb the fruits of different cultures, and contribute to dissemination and exchange of different cultures in China.

I really look forward to your strong support for the International Park of Cultural Exchange in our Phase-III project, and the excellent wealth of culture of your countries. Together, we will have more resources to create this park and to promote the cultural diversity of the world, and contribute to cultural exchange between China and foreign countries.

ZHU LINSHOU, chairman of 5000-Year Cultural Expo Park

We, the representatives of 13 countries, are all honored and privileged to be here this afternoon for the awarding ceremony of Cultural Exchange Center by the 5,000 Year Cultural Expo Park. We are representatives of the first seven countries that will have Cultural Exchange Centers established at the park and be the first to cooperate with it. A lot of resources, inspiration, thought and sweat have been put in this project. We wish to the promoters of the project full and complete success. I am sure it is going to be very successful.

PAUL R. LIT FONG CHONG LEUNG, Mauritius ambassador to China

I am in awe and very honored to be invited to view this wonderful offering. I really hope that in some small way my country can contribute to the extension of this Cultural Park. Our culture is drawn from our African roots and as a matter of fact, one can trace some of the dances and songs right back to Africa－even the very same words are still being sung in our country.

I can then say that as this goes forward we would love to be a part of this. We would love to strengthen the ties between our countries and the cultural exchanges that can happen. Although we are so way behind, in terms of recording culture, I am sure that in some small way, we can contribute.

I. J. KARL HOOD, Grenadian ambassador to China

We are very happy to be here and it is a beautiful exhibition of Chinese culture. We've been enjoying the last several days and every day we see something new. I believe it is a treasure that the world should see.

Much care and effort has been put into preserving 5,000 years of Chinese culture. It's a wonderful experience we've enjoyed. I believe that opportunities should be created to make this available to the people of the world and that they should be brought here to view it on site. Also maybe some of the important pieces could be transported to other major cities and displayed so that many more people could enjoy these treasures. But again thanks for the hospitality. It's been a very wonderful experience.

RALPH SAMUEL THOMAS, Jamaican ambassador to China

Zhu offered us a chance to visit this magnificent park and appreciate its rich and diverse cultural collection. It really demonstrates a lot of thought, creativity and determination besides serving as a unique record and storage bank of great Chinese culture. I was particularly impressed by so many artistic works which have been collected and carefully preserved in this Park, such as carvings, paintings, traditional attire and ancient living style of the Chinese people. The people of Malawi look forward to participating and showcasing its rich and diverse culture, as a way of sharing experience and cultural diversity. I am, therefore, extremely happy and grateful that Malawi, has been invited to participate in this international Park which will be an opportunity to further enhance China Africa cultural cooperation.

ERNEST MUNGOSAUKA MAKAWA, Malawian ambassador to China

On behalf of our Ambassador Carmenza Jaramillo and the Colombian government, I would like to thank you for this special and very enriching invitation to come to the 5,000-Year Culture Expo Park in Anhui province. We perceive China as a culturally abundant country and this expo park is the best example of it. Pavilions, stages, buildings, chambers, corridors, ancient trees and its various museums displaying some of the best items and most complete collections that China has to offer highlight the always interesting, ancient history of this country that warmly welcomes us all. The things experienced during this visit will forever last in the imprint of our memory and the people that made this possible will always have a special place assured in the minds and hearts of this Colombian that loves China and its endless magical culture.

DANIEL MESA, third secretary at the Colombian embassy in China

The expo reminds me of a recent lecture that I attended in Beijing. It attempted to define the idea of the Chinese Dream. Well, this park and Zhu's history are great examples of the Chinese Dream. Passion, sensitivity, dedication and vision come together to offer something mesmerizing and unique, not to please individual aspirations but to pay tribute to the nation that shelters it. This park offers the visitors a key to understand the essence of China's identity in only one place. A walk through its history and the invaluable display of its sensitivity through various pieces of art allow visitors, young and old, to contemplate the diverse richness that this country preserves.

PAULA PERAZA, counselor and consul at the Costa Rican embassy in China

China is a growing and booming country not only in economic terms, but also in searching and promoting its value, and showing it to the world. That is my first important impression. China is growing its cultural budget－this place has proven it obviously. We have seen increasing relations between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries.

In terms of the 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park, I think this place is unique. It summarizes the best of cultural sites in China. This country is endless, and a whole life is not enough to discover all of it. My first impression of this park is really wonderful. After visiting, it opened to me a lot of perspectives.

PATRICIO PALACIOS, counselor at the Ecuadorian embassy in China

To have a better understanding of Chinese culture helps to understand our own. Having such an inspiring experience in this park is really helpful in thinking about what we can do for Suriname. So I want to call this a journey to the 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park a very rewarding part of a much longer journey to find the roots of our own culture. On behalf of my country, the embassy of Suriname established the Suriname-China Cultural Exchange Center in this cultural expo park on June 10. This is just the beginning of a long journey. Through collaboration with Zhu and his park, we will try our best to make Surinamese culture known by more Chinese or international visitors. An extraordinary park like this deserves more international attention.

LLOYD LUCIEN PINAS, Surinamese ambassador to China

The first thing we do when we arrived at new capitals is find the cultural places. Let me say that what we saw today here would stand out in our mind as one of the best collections of art in any way of the world. And I would come back to Zhu and his organization the best exposition not only for the volume of the collection, but for the expertise in every single item that has been created in this vastness of creativity.

What went through our minds as we walked in this exhibition is the tremendous creativity that has been invested by so many artists in those outstanding pieces. Creativity stands out everywhere, and I want to come back to Zhu because he is the creator, he is the one who decides where every single item goes and how it is displayed. And I have now seen that all the pieces and even a single item are displayed carefully. So this is a great experience and thank you for allowing us to be part of it.

CHANDRADATH SINGH, ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to China

Culture, which can be approached from various angles, encompasses many aspects of human activities. In terms of cultural expressions, we often just look at what we see, but sometimes a more profound emotion arises in us, which varies from admiration to even astonishment, followed by some kind of contemplation. The 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park is not only an excellent exposition of the old Chinese cultural masterpieces, but also a project with very artistic tastes. In a way, these two aspects together contribute to the very unique park, combining the old and the modern with great talent and vision. Well done, Zhu Linshou, chairman of the 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park.

RAMIRO RIOBO, charge d'affaires of the Chilean embassy to China

Chinese dream, Bolivian dream, the dreams of all of us, have some common characteristics, which highlight stability, harmony and cooperation. We need to try our best to achieve this dream and promote the development, cooperation, mutual benefit and reciprocity in the coexistence of a multicultural environment. This is what I see in the 5,000-year Cultural Expo Park. We can say that this park, which become richer and more shining because of the contribution and visits of more and more people, is a reflection of the vitality of Chinese dream. On behalf of multi-ethnic Bolivia, I wish the park, which represents the Chinese dream, will prosper with vitality.

VICTOR HUGO ZURITA, minister from the Bolivian embassy in China

As one actively dealing with aspects of tourism and cultural promotion, this tour of the 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park has been an eye-opening experience for me and I believe this view is shared by the other diplomats. This unique theme park truly lives to its goal of showcasing Chinese culture and civilization dating back 5,000 years.

Several things stood out, but I would like to highlight only a few. The enormous size of the park, the diversity and quality of its cultural and art displays, the creativity of its designs, the contagious passion and patriotism of its visionaries. The park embodies, without doubt, the tremendous value attached to the preservation and celebration of Chinese culture.

NAMBULA WAMULUNGWE, acting first secretary at the Zambian embassy in China

I am deeply honored to have been invited to participate in this visit to the 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park. What we have seen so far of the exhibition is a wonderful offering of the Chinese cultural heritage, dating back 5,000 years. It is a show of great talent and creativity. This exhibition has already proved to be a real eye-opener for some of us. In this respect, I would like, on behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, to thank and congratulate the president of the expo park and his team for constructing such a park, which showcases Chinese culture.

The visit to this expo park has provided an essential window for foreign envoys to get a better understanding of rich Chinese cultural heritage and art as well as share their experiences in art and establish links for possible cooperation in art and culture.

SIFIKILE DONGA SIBANDA, counselor at the Zimbabwean embassy in China

Visiting diplomats and some of the park staff pose for a group photo. Photos Provided to China Daily

I. J. Karl Hood, Grenadan ambassador to China, and Zhu Linshou, chairman of the 5,000-Year Cultural Expo Park, unveil the Grenada-China Cultural Exchange Center in the park on June 10.

 

Ralph SamueI Thomas, Jamaican ambassador to China, and park Chairman Zhu unveil the Jamaica-China Cultural Exchange Center.