Officials from 15 countries visit Chengdu to learn from its experience; 168-hour decoding of the park city model

From October 12 to 19, 2025, the City-to-City Workshop of 2025 Chengdu International Exchange Programme for Friendship was held in Chengdu. The event was hosted by the Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and supported by the Chengdu Municipal Education Bureau, Chengdu Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Chengdu Municipal Health Commission, Chengdu Municipal Sports Bureau, Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone Administrative Committee, Dujiangyan Municipal People’s Government, Chengdu Institute of Planning & Design, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability .

A total of 22 representatives from 19 international friendship cities and member cities of international organizations in 15 countries participated in the week-long workshop in Chengdu. These include representatives from Recife (Brazil), Hamilton (New Zealand), Gold Coast (Australia), Melbourne (Australia), Bogotá (Colombia), Incheon (Republic of Korea), Busan (Republic of Korea), Daegu (Republic of Korea), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Kathmandu (Nepal), Tunis (Tunisia), Flemish Brabant Province (Belgium), Izmir (Türkiye), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Athens (Greece), Sheffield (United Kingdom), Bologna (Italy), Riverside (United States), and Buffalo (United States).

Park City Initiative: The Path to a Green and Livable Future

Themed “Park City Initiative: The Path to a Green and Livable Future”, the City-to-City Workshop of 2025 Chengdu International Exchange Programme for Friendship focused on urban planning, industrial development, livable life, and other areas. Through thematic lectures, case sharing, site visits, mutual exchanges, and other activities, the workshop shared insights into the development of green, inclusive, and sustainable cities and fostered mutual learning among cities.

What insights have representatives gained?

Let us take a look.

Overall Planning: Insights into the Overall Development of the Park City Demonstration Zone in Chengdu

Thematic lecture 1: “The Planning of Park City in Chengdu ”

On-site session: Chengdu Planning Exhibition Hall

Tianfu Greenway cycling experience

Green Industry: Immersion in the Strong Momentum of Chengdu’s Industrial Development

Thematic lecture 2: “Park City and Green Industry”

Site visit to digital infrastructure and the smart microgrid project integrating photovoltaics, storage, charging, and discharging

On-site session and case study: Tianfu New Area No. 1 Reclaimed Water Plant , a wastewater treatment plant hidden in a park city

Night economy experience and a night cruise on the Jinjiang River

Livable Life: The Exploration of Chengdu as a Park City Brimming with Happiness

Thematic lecture 3: “Park City and Livable Life”

Site visit to Chengdu Women’s and Children’s Central Hospital

On-site session and case study: the renovation of industrial legacy from the perspective of urban renewal—Eastern Suburb Memory

Sports-Driven Urban Development: The Impact of Chengdu 2021 FISU Games and TWG 2025 Chengdu on Urban Development

Thematic lecture 4: “Park City Development Driven by Sports Events”

Site visit to Dong’an Lake Sports Park

International Cooperation: Cooperation Potential between Chengdu and Participating Cities

Site visit to Chengdu International Sister Cities Exhibition Hall

Site visit to Chengdu Montpellier Primary School

Sharing Session

During the sharing session, the international representatives exchanged valuable insights and innovative ideas from their respective cities while actively exploring new paradigms and practical pathways for developing green, livable, and sustainable cities. Multiple speakers unanimously emphasized, “Chengdu’s practices in the innovative transformation of ecological value through its ‘park city’ development provide us with a new palpable and tangible paradigm for livable cities. Its achievements are remarkable.”

Sharing session

Cultural Visits

Additionally, the international representatives visited Kuanzhai Alley, where they traced the city’s historical roots and immersed themselves in the unique charm of western Sichuan residences and the vibrant traditional lifestyle of Chengdu. Their trip to Dujiangyan provided profound insights into the wisdom and achievements of this engineering marvel that has been operational for over two millennia. At the Dujiangyan Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (Panda Valley) , the representatives witnessed firsthand Chengdu’s concrete progress in ecological conservation and species preservation.

The seven-day workshop

was brief yet memorable.

As the workshop concluded,

the representatives expressed their gratitude and best wishes for Chengdu

in their postcards.

Background: The City-to-City Workshop of the Chengdu International Exchange Programme for Friendship

Since 2015, the Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs Office has invited government officials from international friendship cities to participate in short-term workshops in Chengdu for five consecutive years. These initiatives have actively engaged 136 representatives of international friendship cities from over 40 countries. Through thematic workshops, site visits, mutual exchanges, and other activities, the event deepened mutual understanding, promoted mutual learning among cultures, and shared insights into development. After years of continuous development and refinement, the event has been officially upgraded to the City-to-City Workshop of the Chengdu International Exchange Programme for Friendship in 2023. With a more open and inclusive attitude, it aims to cooperate with international friendship cities, international organizations, and their member cities to jointly expand a broader network of partnerships.

Source: 国际蓉