From December 10 to 13, the 2025 China (Sichuan)-Africa Youth Cultural Exchange Program was held in Chengdu and Meishan. The event was organized by the Sichuan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Information Office of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, the Department of Education, the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and the Sichuan Association for Science and Technology. Under the theme "Youth Advancing Together, Building Friendship", the event brought together 78 international students from 22 African countries, as well as Pakistan and Indonesia, alongside 30 Chinese youth representatives. Together, they visited industrial parks, rural areas, and cultural landmarks, experiencing Sichuan's developmental achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period in areas such as technological innovation, cultural heritage, and modern agriculture, and deepened mutual cultural appreciation through exchanges in multiple domains.

Applause for Technology

China's Innovative Spirit: A Model Worth Emulating

The event commenced on December 10. Chinese and African youth visited the Sichuan Science and Technology Museum, the Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park, the Sichuan Manufacturing Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Empowerment Platform, and Chengdu Xinjin Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, experiencing Sichuan's dynamic momentum in technological innovation and industrial upgrading.

At the Sichuan Science and Technology Museum, the aerospace exhibition area took the spotlight. Astronaut training equipment, such as the 360-degree bicycle and the three-axis gyroscope, attracted enthusiastic participation from the young visitors. After experiencing the three-axis gyroscope, Olumba Weiden (transliterated), a Nigerian student at Chengdu University of Technology, remarked, "Even with my eyes closed, I could feel intense dizziness. It's hard to imagine astronauts undergoing such training for a long time." Having been in China for only three months, he gained a more tangible understanding of Chinese modernization through this visit, saying, "China's innovative spirit is worth emulating."

Inside the Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park and Chengdu Xinjin Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, a world of highly intelligent manufacturing unfolded before their eyes. The automated production lines in the "lights-out factory" operated at high speed. Cutting-edge technologies such as the Dongfang Intelligent Power Generation Equipment Diagnostic and Decision-Making System and the DKCS Kuafu Control System excited everyone. The young participants frequently exchanged views on the latest achievements in Sichuan's digital economy and advanced manufacturing.

Encountering Intangible Cultural Heritage

Touching the Delicate Side of Chinese Culture

While the excitement of the technology tour still lingered, the African international students embarked on a deep dialogue with Sichuan's intangible cultural heritage. They successively visited Tianyi Nongyuan Art Expo Park, the International Bamboo Art Museum, the San Su Shrine Museum, and other sites, feeling the warmth and creativity that flow through the cultural veins of this land.

At the Tianyi Nongyuan Art Expo Park, Xiao Li (transliteration), a Kenyan student at Sichuan Agricultural University, couldn't put down his tie-dye creation, "Turning a plain piece of white cloth into a work of art with my own hands truly made me feel the wisdom and beauty of traditional Chinese craftsmanship."

The bamboo weaving experience area was equally lively. A Beninese international student at Southwest Petroleum University was eager to learn how to weave a small fish under the guidance of a master craftsman, stating, "This requires a high level of concentration. Through my fingertips, I feel that I'm touching the delicate side of Chinese culture."

At the San Su Shrine Museum, the young participants also tried their hands at the intangible cultural heritage practice of ink rubbing, reproducing classic poems on paper. "Though it was a bit challenging, the final product is very beautiful," said Chen Ling (transliteration), an Algerian student at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. She mentioned that this was her first time trying ink rubbing, and she took great care with the process.

Exploring Agriculture

Witnessing the Vitality of Sichuan's Rural Revitalization

Focusing on agricultural development and rural revitalization, the Chinese and African youth also conducted on-site visits. They visited the Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park, the Qile Citrus-Pig Modern Circular Agricultural Park, and Sichuan Lao Tan Zi Food Co., Ltd., experiencing firsthand the dynamic transition of Sichuan's agriculture from traditional farming to intelligent practices.

At the pickle exhibition area of Sichuan Lao Tan Zi Food Co., Ltd., Li Ande (transliteration), a Gabonese student at Sichuan Agricultural University, excitedly opened the lid of a pickle jar and discovered that the jar contained various types of fruit pickles, in addition to traditional pickled radishes and pickled cowpeas. "Truly fascinating! I've been studying in Sichuan for six years, and this is the first time I've seen how Sichuan pickles (paocai in Chinese) are actually made," said Li Ande. He and his companions also put on gloves to experience making tiaoshui paocai (quick-pickled pickles), feeling the industrial strength behind Sichuan's culinary delights.

International student Hu Yangfeng (transliteration), from Ghana, expressed great interest in the modern agricultural park, stating, "Not only has this place achieved a circular system for planting and breeding, but it has also applied AI technology to agricultural production. It's very advanced." Hu Yangfeng told the reporter that the development of agricultural technology in Sichuan was a key factor in his decision to study there, adding, "I want to bring these advanced technologies and ideas back home."