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EAST MEETS WEST AT THE WTCDC

Dec 23, 2019

EAST MEETS WEST AT THE RONALD REAGAN BUILDING: CELEBRATING BEIJING DAYS-2019 IN WASHINGTON DC

Beijing Days in DC 2019 (November 21-22) celebrated the 35th Anniversary of the Sister Cities’ relationship between Washington, D.C. and Beijing. The hosts were Beijing Municipal Government, Government of the District of Columbia, and the World Trade Center, Washington DC (Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center). The festive sequence of events has been opened by the prominent US and the People’s Republic of China leaders. The DC Mayor, Honorable Muriel Bowser, who in 2015 led a week-long trip District officials to China, expressed hopes for continuation of mutually rewarding relationship and cooperation between the two capitals. She mentioned multiple examples of joint initiatives, which included, for example, established in 2012 DC China Center – DC municipal government’s first international office, whose mission is to develop commercial relationships between the nation’s capital and China. Director of the World Trade Center in Washington DC Andrew Gelfuso highlighted the importance of better understanding, communication, and cooperation between two countries. PRC Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Cui Tiankai highlighted the importance of the Days in contributing to the world’s progress, peace, and stability. The Mayor of the city of Beijing Mr. Chen Jining thanked the audience for support, expressed hopes for new possibilities of cooperation between two sister-cities, and invited everybody to attend the anniversary festival in the Atrium the very next day.

Indeed, the next day, visitors witnessed a colorful explosion of creativity and industriousness of Chinese people. The festival featured all the cultural and artistic delights one could expect - guqin music performances, traditional lion dancing, food tastings, tea ceremonies, costumed photo ops, incense and calligraphy presentations. It also included an impressive display of images of architectural marvels, entitled “The Beautiful Beijing.” Along with traditional landmarks, like the imperial palace complex “The Forbidden City,” on display were outlandish images of modern marvels, for example, nicknamed "Starfish" giant plane terminal at Beijing Daxing Airport, colloquially called “The Giant Egg” National Centre for the Performing Arts, and the futuristic urban complex of shops, offices, and entertainment facilities, known as “Galaxy SOHO.”

Obviously, landmark events like these do not just happen. During Beijing Days-2019 the World Trade Center, DC staff, the DC Government and Beijing Municipal Government public servants, helped by a remarkable group of artists, business people, educators, designers, and volunteers, established new ties, bonds, and links between our societies.