Colorful Central Asia culture, products interest visitors at newly opened park in northwest China's Xi'an

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vibrant culture and diverse products on show at the Central Asia Park in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province have caught much interest from visitors since its opening to the public on Sunday, a year after a historic summit of leaders of China and Central Asian nations.   The park is located near the Xi'an International Exhibition Center, one of the venues for the 2023 China-Central Asia Summit. Sculptures of horses and camel caravans decorate the approximately 53-hectare park, symbolizing the prosperous exchanges over centuries and the beautiful vision of joint development between China and Central Asian countries, which are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"China is one of the countries with the longest history in the world, and the Silk Road also has a very long history. Today, I see many Silk Road elements and many Central Asian elements here, and I am very happy," said Oakham, head of the business development department of the ADY Container.

At the park's shop, visitors can buy specialties including snacks and oil paintings from Central Asian countries.

"Today, I come to have a look with my husband. It is very convenient to buy products from Central Asia in the vicinity of home," said Zhang Ying, a Xi'an resident.

"I saw many products showcasing the culture of the five Central Asian countries, including oil paintings and delicious food. Today, I found cookies from Kazakhstan, which are very familiar to me. I hope more people from Xi'an and all over China can visit here to learn about the cultures of these five Central Asian countries," said Anita Jumekenova, a lady from Kazakhstan, who is an independent director of the Shaanxi Silk Road City Holdings Group Co., Ltd.

The building at the main entrance of the park is called the "Silk Road Meeting Room", showcasing gifts from Central Asian countries, including traditional costumes from Kazakhstan and sculptures of "bow shooting" from Kyrgyzstan.

"The 'Silk Road Meeting Room' is not only for exhibition, but also facilitates international trade, bulk trade. It is not only a pavilion, but also a platform to really promote trade interaction between China and Central Asian countries," said Talafuhan, head of Xinjiang Zhongya Internet Incubator Co., Ltd.

Xi'an is a historical city founded about 3,100 years ago. Formerly known as Chang'an, it is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, which saw flourishing interactions between China and Central Asia.

The China-Central Asia Summit, held in the city in May 2023, was the first summit held offline by the heads of state of the six countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and each of the five Central Asian states 31 years ago.

Colorful Central Asia culture, products interest visitors at newly opened park in northwest China's Xi'an

Authorities in east China's coastal provinces Zhejiang and Jiangsu have launched emergency evacuation of residents to help mitigate the impact of Typhoon Bebinca -- the 13th typhoon of the year.

In Zhejiang's Pinghu City, communities have started the relocation work. The old town area of Xindai, home to about 1,400 permanent residents, including some 30 percent elderly, has been a focus of evacuation efforts.

Over 50 elderly residents have been evacuated to a temporary courtyard shelter, where they have plenty of space for meals and walking around. The shelter is equipped with folding beds, food, drinking water and medical staff standing by to address any health concerns.

The province also raised its emergency response for typhoon prevention to level II.

In Jiangsu Province, Nantong City has conducted comprehensive safety inspections and organized evacuations in key areas.

Nantong's Rugao Port on the Yangtze River was shutdown on Sunday afternoon.

All workers at the Zhangjiagang-Jingjiang-Rugao Bridge construction site -- located at a river shoal -- are evacuated ahead of the storm attack.

"From the temporary ferry to the Rugao-Zhangjiagang ferry, we have evacuated a total of 428 people. So far, all construction personnel of the Zhangjinggao Bridge within the scope of this construction site have been evacuated to our shelter," said Ding Xiaoxing, chief engineer of Rugao Water Affairs Department.

Authorities in Nantong has evacuated more than 1,400 people and over 200 vessels along the coastal area under its jurisdiction.

Making landfall in Shanghai on Monday morning, Typhoon Bebinca is the most powerful tropical cyclone directly hitting the Chinese financial hub in more than seven decades.

Zhejiang, Jiangsu evacuate residents as Typhoon Bebinca lands in east China