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
