With the theme of "ancient cities on the new Silk Road, cooperating for a new future", the event attracted more than 400 representatives from governments, universities, chambers of commerce and enterprises from Xi'an and Shaoxing, all aiming for further cooperation and development.

Ma Weiguang, Party secretary of Shaoxing, said that Shaoxing city will continue to implement the central strategic consensus reached by Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces, strengthen docking and exchanges, expand areas of cooperation, and identify the points where Shaoxing and Xi'an have complementary advantages. It will also strive to create a modern industrial system, build a modern urban system, reshape its urban cultural system, optimize its natural ecological system, and jointly enter open industrial cooperation with Xi'an in terms of cultural and tourism integration, in order to better achieve mutual benefits and a win-win situation.

Ma Weiguang, Party secretary of Shaoxing, gives a speech at the Shaoxing Week opening ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang Yong, vice-mayor of Xi'an municipal people's government, said that Shaoxing, like Xi'an, is a famous historical and cultural city. Shaoxing has a history of 2,500 years and Xi'an has a history of 3,100 years, and there are many stories of close contact between the two cities.

"These profound cultural deposits complement each other, and have become a precious source of information and power to promote the economic and social development of Shaoxing and Xi'an," the vice-mayor said.

At the signing ceremony held after the opening ceremony, six cooperation projects were officially signed, in the areas of biology, intelligent manufacturing, personnel training, cultural and tourism integration, industrial upgrading and other fields. The two ancient cities reached a new chapter of mutual benefit and deep cooperation.

A bird's-eye view of Shaoxing city. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At the meeting, special introductions were held on the development and construction of Binhai New Area, Jinghu New Area, the Science and Innovation Corridor, the Cultural Corridor, and the protection and utilization of the ancient city, as well as the culture and tourism of the ancient city. Shaoxing vividly displays a workable blueprint for promoting the organic integration of ancient city and new area, and for creating links between the development of culture, tourism and industry.

Through this activity, Shaoxing will actively carry out resource docking, talent cultivation and cultural exchanges with Xi'an. It will also comprehensively show its current urban vitality, development prospects and cultural quality to college students in Xi'an, hoping to attract more talents from Xi'an and add momentum and benefit to Shaoxing's development.