Shanxi Cultural Tourism Shines in Fiji

On May 25, the special exhibition "Yingxian Wooden Pagoda - The Millennium Marvel and Legacy of Wooden Architecture" and the 2026 Shanxi Cultural Tourism Fiji Promotion Event, co-hosted by the Shanxi Museum, the China Cultural Centre in Fiji, and the Fiji Museum, and co-organized by the People's Government of Yingxian County and Shanghai Fine Arts Pulisher, opened at the China Cultural Centre in Fiji.

The event was attended by over 100 guests, including Wang Yuan, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Fiji; Sipiriano Nemani, Director of the Fiji Department of Culture, Heritage & Arts; Jin Zhang, Deputy Director-General of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism; Wang Xiaoyi, Director of the Shanxi Museum; Armando Lowe, CEO of the Fiji Museum; Maciuselar Raitaukala, Director of the Fiji Arts Council; Professor Gurmeet Singh, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific; Asish Dayal, Principal of Marist Brothers High School; Wu Fangfang, President of the Fiji-China Friendship Association; and Li Chunxue, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific.

In his address, Chargé d'affaires Wang Yuan noted that this year marks the Shanxi-Fiji Cultural Tourism Exchange and Promotion Year. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda exhibition not only presents a feast of Eastern architectural aesthetics from a thousand years ago to the people of Fiji but also facilitates a cross-regional dialogue between two ancient millenary civilizations. He expressed his hope that the people of Fiji could closely experience the solemn charm of this Eastern architectural treasure, which has endured for over a millennium, and deeply appreciate the timeless imprints of the long-standing Chinese civilization.

Director Sipiriano Nemani stated in his speech that this event marks an important step in Sino-Fijian cultural exchange and provides a valuable reference for Fiji in advancing cultural heritage preservation and cultural tourism development. He highly commended the contributions made by the China Cultural Centre in Fiji to cultural exchange between the two countries over the past ten years, believing that cultural exchange is a crucial bond for enhancing mutual trust and deepening friendship. He affirmed that Fiji will further deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two nations.

In his address, Deputy Director-General Jin Zhang described Shanxi as a "theme park" of Chinese civilization, possessing a wealth of cultural and tourism resources. He emphasized that Shanxi's thousand-year-old wooden structures and intangible cultural heritage, combined with Fiji's azure seas, blue skies, and folk customs, create a unique complementarity in cultural tourism, offering both the beauty of civilizational differences and vast potential for mutual learning.

Director Wang Xiaoyi, as the curator, stated that this exhibition is the first overseas presentation of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda theme, serving as a vivid practice of dialogue between Chinese and Fijian civilizations. He expressed commitment to continuing the promotion of international cultural exchange and cooperation, building platforms for mutual learning among perse civilizations, and facilitating the sharing of cultural resources and the dissemination of achievements.

The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, first built in 1056 AD during the Liao Dynasty in Yingxian County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, China, is the world's tallest and oldest existing pure wooden tower-style structure. Having withstood nearly a thousand years of wind, rain, and numerous earthquakes, it still stands majestically. The exhibition is organized into three sections — "Architectural Marvel," "The Buddhist Realm within the Pagoda," and "Concealed Treasures" — systematically presenting the pagoda's historical evolution, aesthetic achievements, architectural wisdom, and cultural value.

The 2026 Shanxi Cultural Tourism Fiji Promotion Event was launched grandly. Representative Shanxi intangible cultural heritage works, high-quality Shanxi cultural and creative products, and Shanxi cuisine were exhibited on site. Notably, Changzhi's cultural tourism prominently featured the icy wonders of the Taihang Mountains and the ice formations at Baquan Gorge, along with exquisite cultural tourism brochures and creative notebooks. The intangible cultural heritage display area showcased Changzhi's Lihou Tiger ornaments, conveying a rich local folk custom. Among the culinary promotions, Changzhi's Qinzhouhuang Millet Chips were particularly well-received. Wang Zhanglong, a provincial-level inheritor of Shanxi knife-cut noodle making(a national intangible cultural heritage craft), performed his exquisite noodle-making art live. Qin Jian, an inheritor of the traditional Chinese magic art, presented his superb skills, earning rounds of applause and cheers. The cultural interactions and specialty food tastings allowed guests to immersively experience the profound historical and cultural heritage of Shanxi.

Students of the China Cultural Centre, Hao Ran, performed the piano piece Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon, and Wen Jingyi presented a Yangqin (Chinese dulcimer) solo, Tianshan Poetic Painting.

Source: China Cultural Centre in Fiji