Shaanxi Week Unveiled at the China Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka
Since the opening of Expo 2025 Osaka, the China Pavilion has presented a series of spectacular visual feasts. From July 8 to 10, the spotlight turns to Shaanxi. Under the theme "Silk Road in Harmony: A Journey through Green and Beautiful Shaanxi," the Shaanxi Week at the China Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka is hosting a series of events including artistic performances, special product showcases, and economic and trade exchanges. These activities display Shaanxi's profound history, rich resources, and innovative vitality, while promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises.
Shaanxi has been a land of openness and inclusivity since ancient times. More than 1,300 years ago, the Japanese envoy to the Tang Dynasty, Abe no Nakamaro, forged a deep friendship with the poet Li Bai in Chang'an. Today, Shaanxi maintains close economic and trade ties with Japan, with a number of internationally influential companies choosing to invest and operate in the province. The direct flight from Xi'an to Osaka has built an "Aerial Silk Road." Shaanxi is willing to use the Expo as a bridge to deepen cooperation with Japan and countries around the world in fields such as technological innovation, green energy, modern agriculture, and cultural tourism, to share opportunities and create a win-win future.
Li Qingshuang, Commissioner General for the China Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka and Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), remarked that Shaanxi and Japan are partners on a journey towards each other, vividly illustrating the China-Japan relationship of being "cooperative partners." She expressed her hope that Shaanxi will leverage the Expo as a platform and the Activity Week as an opportunity to strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation with all countries, including Japan, thereby contributing Shaanxi's wisdom and strength to promoting people-to-people connectivity, enhancing mutual learning between civilizations, and jointly building a community of life for man and nature.
Xue Jian, Consul General of China in Osaka, expressed his hope that friends from all circles can utilize the platform of Expo 2025 Osaka and the opportune moment of the Shaanxi Week to engage in deep exchanges, learn from one another, discuss cooperation, and envision the future. He affirmed that the Consulate General of China in Osaka will always serve as a "bridge-builder" and "service escort," facilitating more interactions between enterprises and personnel, and working together to create prosperity through these mutual overtures.
Yamashita Makoto, Governor of Nara Prefecture, shared that his visit to the China Pavilion allowed him to feel the profound depth of Chinese history and culture, and to tangibly witness the vibrant momentum of China's modern development today. Nara Prefecture officially established a friendly relationship with Shaanxi Province in 2011, and since then, exchanges in various fields have continuously deepened. He believes the Shaanxi Week will allow more people to appreciate the charm of Shaanxi Province and serve as an excellent opportunity to further deepen the friendship and mutual trust between Japan and China. Looking ahead to 2026, which marks the important 15th anniversary of the friendly relations between Nara and Shaanxi, he hopes to see broader and deeper economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two regions.
Nagano Hikaru, Executive Director of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, noted that the number of visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka has already surpassed 10 million. The sight of crowds rushing to various pavilions when the gates open at 9 a.m. has become a daily spectacle, and the China Pavilion consistently has long queues from morning until night. During the Shaanxi Week, visitors can discover the various connections between Shaanxi and Japan that date back to ancient times. He expressed his hope that, through the Expo, Shaanxi and Japan can establish a long-lasting and profound relationship, inseparable as a pair of lovebirds.
The opening ceremony also featured spectacular performances showcasing Shaanxi's unique character. The scroll dance, The Charm of Qin in Ink and Brush, not only embodied the rhythmic beauty of Chinese characters but also reflected the spirit of "harmony is precious" in Chinese civilization. The Northern Shaanxi folk song, A Pair of Mandarin Ducks Floating on the Water, used its simple melody and soaring vocals to sing of true human emotions and the vibrancy of life, as well as the people's yearning for and pursuit of a "better life." The duet dance, Song of Everlasting Regret, told the epic love story of Emperor Xuanzong and Lady Yang through the language of dance, with its graceful movements outlining the openness and romance of the great Tang Dynasty.
The excitement of the Shaanxi Week is just beginning. The "Four Seasons of Three Qins" cultural tourism promotion and the "Chronicles of the Land of Three Qins" intangible cultural heritage and artistic performances will showcase the beauty of intangible heritage, using art to build bridges of communication and present Shaanxi's fine products and exquisite skills to international visitors. Nearly 200 types of specialties across five major categories from over 40 Shaanxi enterprises will be featured through interactive experiences and exhibitions, fostering exchange and cooperation among businesses and building a high-quality platform for grassroots economic development between Shaanxi and other nations. Comprehensive activities such as the "'Beautiful Shaanxi of the Crested Ibis' ecological theme oil painting exhibition" and a virtual interactive event on the release of crested ibises into the wild will allow audiences to appreciate the beautiful tableau of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature in Shaanxi, introducing the province's achievements in green development.
From the beauty of bamboo and wood to the new voice of the Silk Road, from the celestial sounds of the Loess Plateau to the flutter of dancing sleeves, history and the future converge here. Shaanxi and the world join hands, using the Expo platform to share the legacy of the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties with the world and to renew the legend of the Silk Road.
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