Delegation from the Chinese city of Yichun visited Ruse

Monday, 26 June 2023

The Mayor of Ruse Municipality Pencho Milkov welcomed today a 10-member delegation from the Chinese city of Yichun, headed by Deputy Mayor Fang Yanru, representatives of various municipal departments and sports experts. The visit is in connection with Ruse's hosting of the World Dragon Boat Championships in 2025 and the desire of the two municipalities to deepen their relations in various fields of activity.

"The championship will be a continuation of the cultural and sports ties that Ruse has with the Chinese community. This is another opportunity not only for children and young people, but for all citizens. I am glad that this idea of ours is growing into a friendship that we can develop over time," the mayor said and stressed his gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria for its assistance in establishing relations between the two municipalities.
The guests shared their satisfaction with the visit to Vasil Levski Secondary School, where they met students studying Chinese culture and language. Today they will also meet the graduates of the Kalagia Wushu Sports Club at the Municipal Youth Home and will tour the area of the Lipnik Forest Park and the dam where the World Championships will be held in 2 years.

"Our city is 10,000 kilometres away from Ruse, but somehow, through the river and the boats, we feel very connected to this place," Fang Yanru emphasised.

Mayor Pencho Milkov noted that dragon boating provides a unique chance for sport, recreation and fun for families, friendly groups and colleagues in the outdoors. The boats are 12 meters long and gather 22 people - 20 of them are rowers, one is the driver at the front and the helmsman at the back.

The guests stressed that regular training is necessary to participate in the competition. They presented the mayor of Ruse with a textbook on dragon boats, which will be translated from Chinese and used in the preparation of the event in the coming months. At the end of the meeting, a declaration of intent was signed to establish friendly relations between Ruse and Yichun.

In order to gain experience, representatives of the local administration took part in the first dragon boat festival in Bulgaria on the lake in Pancharevo, organized by the Chinese Cultural Center on June 24 and 25.

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