From April 22 to 26, the 2025Fine Chinese Culture Experience Program shines in Baoshan with a series of exhibitions from Shanghai’s Baoshan District taking center stage. Visitors from various ethnic groups and walks of life were drawn to the diverse booths, enjoying a rich cultural feast while deepening their sense of pride and identification with the Chinese national community.

Mr. Ai, a teacher originally from Kashgar in Xinjiang and now living in Shanghai, teaches at a private university in Baoshan. Upon hearing about the event being held in Beijing, he traveled eagerly to the capital and visited the historic site of the former Mongolian and Tibetan School, which boasts a history of over 600 years. On April 22, Mr. Ai happened to encounter the opening of the event of the Fine Chinese Culture Experience Program in Baoshan.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ai shared, “I come from beautiful Xinjiang. I’ve lived in Shanghai for 12 years, and in Baoshan for 9 of them, working in the field of education. Shanghai, to me, is one of China’s most vibrant and dynamic cities—open and inclusive.This event truly showcases how Baoshan has explored ways to promote interethnic integration. Through initiatives such as the ‘Home in Shanghai, Dream in Baoshan’ program, community integration projects, and support services for newcomers, Baoshan has fostered a strong sense of belonging, helping everyone quickly feel at home in Shanghai. By encouraging shared living and learning between locals and newcomers, Baoshan has built ‘connected communities’ and a harmonious social environment.”

The event attracted not only residents from various ethnic groups but also wide attention from people across different sectors. Visitors expressed strong identification with the Chinese national community and satisfaction with the progress in national unity and social harmony. Many also felt a renewed sense of responsibility for contributing to these collective goals.

Throughout the event, many Beijing residents also visited the exhibition. As hosts, they showed great enthusiasm and interest in the exhibits from across the country, while expressing high hopes for the bright future of the Chinese national community.

“I am truly delighted and deeply impressed. Especially the intangible cultural heritage displays outside the main exhibition hall—such as the LuojingCross-stitch Embroidery and the Wusong Dough Figurines—gave me a unique and profound appreciation for the richness of traditional Chinese culture. I also received a pomegranate-shaped fridge magnet during the event, symbolizing the unity and prosperity of all ethnic groups. It was a beautiful and meaningful gesture,” shared Shi Yimin, a Beijing resident.

The opening ceremony of the event took place at 10:00 a.m. on April 22. During the ceremony, the United Front Work Department of Beijing’s Yanqing District delivered congratulatory remarks. The ceremony highlighted Baoshan’s achievements in social development, distinctive culture, and preservation of intangible culturalheritage, and also officially unveiled the “Home in Shanghai, Dream in Baoshan” logo. Over 130 representatives—including government officialsfrom Baoshan and Yanqing’sUnited Front Work Departments, religious and ethnic group leaders, and figures from non-Party backgrounds—attended the event.

During the five-day exhibition, Baoshan presented Beijing residents and visitors from across the country with a rich array of cultural experiences. These included “Baoshan Intangible Cultural Heritage” projects such as Luojing cross-stitch embroidery, Wusong dough figurines, and Yuepu bamboo weaving; “Flavors of Baoshan” represented by sole-bottom rice cakes; “Baoshan Folk Customs” such as the Luodian lanterns; “Baoshan Folk Music” including Yuepu drumming performances; as well as special exhibits submitted by various subdistricts and towns, such as Yanghang block-printed silk scarf (Blown-plastic style).The exhibition also highlighted Baoshan’s century-long history, offering brief introductions to prominent historical figures such as renowned educator Pan Guangdan, and showcasing Baoshan’s red tourism resources, including the Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Shanghai Liberation Memorial Hall—all reflecting Red Baoshan’s rich historical legacy.

The event also presented Baoshan’s dynamic “Three Arrows” strategy for economic and social development, as well as its achievements in providing support to ethnic minority regions such as Yecheng in Xinjiang and Weixi, Huize, Xuanwei, and Luoping in Yunnan.The entire event centered around the theme of “One Family under the Chinese Nation, Working Together for the Chinese Dream”, to strengthen national cohesion and narrate a new, enduring chapter in the story of unity.

The 2025 Fine Chinese Culture Experience Program spans three months, from April 18 to July 6, and is jointly organized by Shanghai and Xizang Autonomous Region.