Chinese Association for International Understanding

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Neighboring NGO Delegation Visiting China


Bai Ruijun At the invitation of CAFIU, a 13-member neighboring NGO delegation composed of representatives from media and think tanks from Nepal and the Philippines visited China from October 25 to November 5. During its stay in China, CAFIU Vice-President Ai Ping met with the delegation. CAFIU Secretary-General Ni Jian, Deputy Secretary-General Liu Kaiyang had working talks respectively with members of the delegation. The delegation called on World Art Center of China Millennium Monument, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the Xicheng District of Beijing, and also had discussions with experts of Institute for International Economic Research，National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC), China Institute of International Studies on China’s neighborhood foreign policy, China’s reform and opening-up as well as economic and social development. It is the first visit to China for most of the members. China’s dramatic development since the reform and opening-up gave them deep impression. For those who have been to China, it is even more the case. Bhuban Kumar Pathak of Nepal Council of World Affairs recalled his first visit to China invited by All China Youth Federation in 1990. The changes happened in China in the past 20 more years are far beyond his imagination. The delegation went to visit the Great Wall, the Palace Museum and Beijing Jinfuyinong Planting Base. It is the first time for Raj of Nepal-China Media Forum to visit China. He said he came to know the Great Wall when he was a student and dreamed one day he would be able to climb it and his dream has come true this time. In order to make the guests have a multi-dimensional understanding of China’s culture and history, we invited Mr. Feng Guangsheng, Council Member of CAFIU and Deputy Director of World Art Center of Beijing Millennium Monument to give a briefing. The topic China’s Ancient Musical Instruments and Culture given by Mr. Feng introduced various pieces of musical instruments starting from their evolvement, the ways they were made, the occasions on which they were played and the meanings they represent. Though it is difficult for them to have a deeper understanding of the ancient instruments and the cultural implication, at least it opens a window for them to apprehend China from a different perspective. When visiting Beijing Jinfuyinong Planting Base, the characters “Tomato UN” caught their eyes, teasing whether there was an “UN General Assembly”. By taking advantage of advanced technology of Internet of Things, the base conducts real time surveillance over the indicators like temperature, humidity, sunlight, adjusts according to different weather conditions and gives reminders to pick up in light of the mature periods of plant. The base combines eco-growing with leisure tourism, attracts families to pick fruits and get close to the nature. This emerging type of tourism greatly interests the guests and expressed that they would recommend to relative industries when going back. Besides Beijing, the delegation also visited Quanzhou and Xiamen in Fujian Province. Quanzhou was the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and the place where different cultures met. Religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism co-exited peacefully and learned from each other in history, making important contributions to the development of cultures there. Religious relics in Qingjing Mosque, Kaiyuan Temple and Exhibition Hall of Islamic Culture raised the curiosity of the delegation. Several representatives from Nepal stood in front of the stones carved with symbols of Hinduism. Astonished by the spread of Hinduism in ancient Quanzhou, they told us religious stories of Hinduism in excitement. When hearing the guide saying a great amount of Chinese people living in the Southeast Asia were from Fujian, for example the Cai Zishen folk houses were funded and built by a Chinese living in the Philippines at the end of the Qing Dynasty, a lady from the Philippines said that her grandmother came from Fujian, although she was not sure whether she was from this very city, still she felt like going back to her home. It was just because of the various connections that bring close the distance between peoples and enhance their sentiments towards each other. During its stay in China, the delegation has contacts and communications with different layers of the Chinese society, which increases their understanding of CAFIU , Chinese culture as well as that of the economic and social development of China. The visit reached the objective of increasing mutual understanding and diffusing doubts.