Neustadt celebrates 30 years of friendship with Quanzhou - a cultural festival!

Neustadt celebrates 30 years of friendship with Quanzhou - a cultural festival!

On April 27, 2025, the city of Neustadt an der Weinstraße celebrates the 30th anniversary of its city partnership with Quanzhou, China. The celebrations take place on the historic Hambacher Castle, where both the vice mayor of Quanzhou, Yao Fei and Mayor Marc Weigel highlight the importance of the partnership. A central point that both emphasize is the role of young people as a hope for the future of both cities.

The city partnership was launched in 1995 and has promoted a variety of cultural, economic and administrative contacts since then. It is particularly noteworthy that Quanzhou was recently included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site, which underlines the historical and cultural importance of the city. According to Wochenblatt-reporter.de Between the 10th and 14th centuries, a global maritime trading center of the song and yuan dynasty and housed one largest ports on the historical maritime silk road.

cultural treasures and meaning

The UNESCO award includes a total of 22 cultural heritage locations that represent important elements of urban culture. An outstanding point is the statue of Laotse, the largest surviving Taoist stone carving statue of China. In a letter to his counterpart Wang Yongli, Mayor Marc Weigel sent his congratulations for this significant recognition.

Quanzhou itself has almost nine million inhabitants and is located in the province of Fujian in southeast China. With the preservation of the UNESCO World Heritage Status, the cultural identity of the city is further consolidated. Weigel emphasizes that the town twinning not only promotes exchange in education and culture, but also stimulates economic cooperation.

future of cooperation

The partnership between Neustadt and Quanzhou stands for an open exchange and the promotion of tolerance, especially among young people. In the face of economic and cultural challenges, the commitment to international friendships and understanding is of great importance. `In the context of the multitude of international relationships, such as the exchange programs between schools, it becomes clear that the interpersonal relationships between countries play an essential role ' anne-frank-frankfurt.de .

The experiences from these partnerships show that cultural exchange not only conveys knowledge, but also creates emotional bonds. Like the students from Frankfurt, who take part in exchange programs with Polish schools at the Anne Frank School, it is important that the youth in Neustadt and Quanzhou get the chance to learn from each other and make new friendships.

In a time that is often shaped by uncertainties, the city partnership between Neustadt and Quanzhou remains a shining example of hope, growth and striving for a better mutual understanding.