On September 26th, a gentle sea breeze blew through Fukuoka. The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Fukuoka was brightly decorated for a grand reception celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Approximately 500 people gathered, including representatives from political, business, and academic circles in the Kyushu region of Japan, as well as representatives from consulates of various countries in Fukuoka and overseas Chinese communities. Unlike previous years, this year’s reception featured a striking addition from Shaanxi Province—at the special invitation of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Fukuoka, the Silk Road Blooming Organizing Committee brought Shaanxi’s intangible cultural heritage from afar, allowing the cultural treasures of Shaanxi to shine brilliantly in Kyushu.
The exchanges between Xi’an and Fukuoka have a long history. The Silk Road Blooming Organizing Committee brought Shaanxi intangible cultural heritage to the National Day reception, which is not only a cultural display but also a deepening of the relationship.
The significance of this delegation of Shaanxi intangible cultural heritage projects going abroad goes far beyond a cultural exhibition. Intangible cultural heritage has become a flexible bridge in diplomacy, playing a unique role at this important diplomatic occasion of the National Day reception. Participating guests expressed their commitment to continuing to promote friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan through concrete actions. Cultural exchanges, especially people-to-people cultural exchanges like those involving intangible cultural heritage, are precisely the social foundation for the development of bilateral relations.