China to promote Bangladesh’s heritage sites

China has announced plans to jointly promote three of Bangladesh's heritage sites — the Paharpur Buddhist Bihar, the Sundarbans, and the Shat Gombuj Masjid (sixty dome mosque) — as part of efforts to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.

The announcement came yesterday (18 September) at an event titled "Harbors Tonight: Beyond Coffee Youth Talk Bangladesh" held at a hotel in Dhaka's Gulshan.

Jerry Wang, a reporter from the Yunnan International Communication Centre for South and Southeast Asia (YICC), introduced the initiative under the programme "World Heritage Tour: Bangladesh." The event, organised by YICC, was attended by Bangladeshi and Chinese cultural figures, doctors, journalists, and other guests.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Jerry said, "As part of the cultural exchange programme, we will produce videos and documentaries on Bangladesh's cultural and heritage sites and jointly promote them in both China and Bangladesh. Last month, we launched a similar initiative in Sri Lanka."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic ties. To mark the occasion, a YICC delegation is visiting Dhaka to foster cultural and people-to-people links.

At the event, speakers underscored the importance of advancing the vision of a China-Bangladesh community of shared benefits. The programme also featured youth storytelling, musical performances from China's Yunnan province, Yunnan coffee showcases, and exhibitions of Yunnan's intangible cultural heritage products.

Speakers further highlighted China's growing role in shaping the future of Bangladesh and the wider South Asian region.

Arif Mahmud, news editor of Independent Television, said, "Bangladesh has the people, and China has the efficiency — with massive manufacturing capacity and modern technology. Together, China is going to be the future for Bangladesh and South Asia."