HANGZHOU, China, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — “More spectacular than I ever imagined!” exclaimed American historian David Ringo Miano, peering through a 5,000-year-old jade disc’s perfect aperture at Liangzhu Museum. He was among the ten international “Hangzhou Seekers” including scholars, artists and influencers from ten countries invited by Hangzhou International Communication Center for a five-day immersive journey on mutual learning among civilizations in Hangzhou this June.
At the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, a black pottery jar etched with cryptic symbols ignited cross-cultural fascination. Greek anthropologist Christina Papageorgopoulou noted the striking parallels: “The patterns mirror motifs on contemporaneous Greek pottery!”
“Like Egyptians, they tamed rivers with brilliance.” Egyptian curator Remonda Fayez Michel found spiritual kinship in ancient hydro-engineering.
West Lake’s misty rain became cinematic gold for Italian documentarian Leonardo Cinieri Lombroso. Turkish journalist Tunç Akkoç, reciting Chinese poet Su Shi’s 11th-century verses, mused: “Poetry breathes soul into these waters.” In the tea museum, Thai conductor Kittiporn Tantrarungroj traced his Chinese ancestry by whisking the character “Chen” in matcha foam, while German photographer Gunther Riehle captured emerald tea terraces through downpours.
As Canadian influencer Angelina Hui Qing Zhang dressed in a Hanfu of the Song Dynasty strolled along the alleys of the canal-side houses, Brazilian lawyer Renato de Almeida Freitas Junior filmed the canal boat models at Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, declaring: “This engineering marvel deserves global recognition.”
At Qiandao Lake, the giant net fishing spectacle stole the show. As 15 tons of silver carp erupted from the water, Gunther said: “This leap captures Hangzhou’s vitality!” The high-speed rail’s 50-minute glide from urban towers to misty peaks, just left Francisca Molinero, principal of a Spanish international school marveled at the ecological harmony.
The charm of civilizations lies in dialogue instead of monologue. During the event, ten representatives of experts from different fields, as well as the Seekers, jointly initiated a dialogue on civilizations that connected the east and west.
The last day saw the Seekers pair up with five Hangzhou families, initiating a down-to-earth journey of exploring the city. The farewell banquet unfolded at a lakeside “Moveable Feast,” where they cooked their hometown dishes alongside Hangzhou chefs.
Like the Grand Canal’s ceaseless flow beneath ancient bridges, the dialogues ripple outward. It is highly likely that you will soon hear a symphony echoed from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, or the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
