On April 20, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Week 2024 kicked off at the picturesque Nansha Bird Park, which incorporated the Second Southeast Asian Culture Festival and the Open Day of the Faculty of Asian Languages and Cultures of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

Led by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the festival aims to foster a closer bond between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Lancang-Mekong River Sub-region, and usher in a new chapter for mutual exchanges. To better promote exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, a special symposium was held before the opening ceremony of the festival, bringing together officials and representatives of the Consulates General of Southeast Asian countries in Guangzhou, such as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, as well as representatives of young entrepreneurs from Southeast Asian countries working in Guangzhou.

During the session, Zhang Yuying from LamPang, Thailand shared her inspiring story of starting a business at the Nansha RCEP Cultural Tourism Innovation Industrial Cooperation Park. After graduating with a major in international education at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, she moved to Guangzhou and opened a "Tuk Tuk Car" coffee shop that draws inspiration from Thai culture. With this coffee shop, as she put it, she hopes to shed more light on specialty products from Thailand and the iconic culture of her beloved home. Throughout this exciting journey, she has harbored a profound sense of gratitude towards this platform, where she has carried out in-depth exchanges with young people around her age from the GBA and other ASEAN countries.

This year, the Southeast Asian Culture Festival brought together many cultural highlights from Southeast Asian countries. The audience was thrilled to enjoy Angklung instrument performances, Thai-style dances, acoustic Indonesian song performances, and more. Later on, the highly anticipated Songkran Festival experience led to an even greater buzz among the audience. In addition to that, different stalls were also set up to showcase the diverse cultures of these countries, including arts, tourist attractions, food, and languages.

According to Porpot Changyawa, Deputy Consul-General of the Kingdom of Thailand in Guangzhou, as the co-chair country of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation this year, Thailand is delighted to work closely with China and all members, aiming to build a strong and prosperous community together. This April, Thailand celebrates "Thailand Songkran Festival 2024". She hopes this festival allows more friends from Guangdong Province and other countries to experience the atmosphere of this festival.

(Photo: Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province)

Qian Hongjie, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, notes that Lancang-Mekong countries and China stand close together not only in terms of geography but also cultural exchange and practical cooperation. For years, Guangdong has been the largest trading partner with the Mekong River countries in China, with an overall trade volume of $86 billion in 2023. This year also marks the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges. She believes that by hosting this festival, China will deepen business ties and foster closer friendships between China and all the countries under this framework.