Former President of Montenegro Visits Fahai Temple

Upon the invitation by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, former President of Montenegro H.E. Mr. Filip Vujanović attended the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing and paid a visit to Shijingshan District on October 19.

Mr. Vujanović and his entourage visited Fahai Temple, a cultural relic site under key state protection, to appreciate its murals which are known as “the best murals of Ming Dynasty,” listen to the associated historical stories, and appreciate the beauty of Chinese history and culture. At the Fahai Temple Mural Art Center, they immersed themselves in the digitized 3D murals that came alive and became animated. They then visited the Moshikou Historical and Cultural Block, an emerging popular attraction in the city, to get a close look at the local lifestyles, the inheritance of culture on this “Millennium-old Path,” and the fruits of the capital's urban renewal endeavor. 

The delegation had some coffee and Beijing-style snacks at the Jing No.199 homestay. During the tea break, Mr. Vujanović had a cordial exchange with Mr. Wang Yanxia, Vice President of Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC), and Mr. Li Xianxia, Executive Vice Chief of Shijingshan District. Vice President Wang Yanxia introduced the main functions of the BPAFFC and the city’s non-governmental exchanges with the outside world. Executive Vice Chief Li shared Shijingshan’s good practices in the preservation of cultural relics and urban renewal. Mr. Vujanović said that a strong people-to-people bond was the cornerstone of bilateral relations, and it was very important to carry out friendly exchanges among the peoples, raise public awareness, and engage more people to enhance people-to-people communication and mutual understanding. He was impressed by what Shijingshan had done and achieved in promoting urban renewal, and believed that cultural protection and urban renewal, two important aspects of urban development, should be promoted in a coordinated manner side by side.