Participants of the ninth Cross-Strait Xiwangmu Cultural Exchange explore Xiwangmu Culture Exhibition Hall‌. [Photo/WeChat account: pingliangfabu]

Guests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered on Aug 30 in Jingchuan county, Pingliang, Gansu province, for the ninth Cross-Strait Xiwangmu Cultural Exchange, combining interactions with business and industry cooperation.

The event began with a ceremony at Huishan Mountain, where participants paid tribute to Xiwangmu, also known as the Queen Mother of the West, a revered figure in traditional Chinese culture. For decades, Taiwan residents have visited Jingchuan's Xiwangmu Culture Exhibition Hall‌, regarded as an important site for tracing the roots of the Xiwangmu tradition.

A cultural exhibition traced the evolution of Xiwangmu traditions, while a forum brought together more than 100 representatives to discuss the preservation and contemporary development of the tradition, which is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

At a business promotion session, companies from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao explored cooperation opportunities in tourism and wellness, specialty agriculture, biomedicine, and new energy and materials.

Some participants visited the Pingliang Industrial Park (High-tech Zone) on Aug 31 to inspect local companies and explore investment opportunities. They also visited Kongtong Mountain, another major cultural site in Pingliang, to learn about its Taoist heritage.

The event highlighted how longstanding cultural ties are being linked with practical cooperation, seeking to deepen cultural interaction and economic collaboration across the Taiwan Strait.