China and Nigeria have renewed calls for stronger cultural and people-to-people exchanges, with Beijing saying cultural diplomacy can deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.
Yang Jianxing, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, made the call at the ‘Shared Moon, Shared Moment, Meet in Africa: Hunan Culture and Tourism in Nigeria’ event in Abuja on Thursday.
The event featured cultural performances and presentations showcasing the heritage of China’s Hunan Province alongside Nigerian cultural expressions.
Jianxing said the visit by the Hunan cultural and arts delegation was an opportunity not only to showcase Chinese culture and art but also to promote friendship and greater understanding between the peoples of China and Nigeria.
He expressed appreciation to the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and members of the delegation for travelling to Nigeria to participate in the programme.
‘The visit is not only about sharing the beauty of Chinese culture and art, but also about building greater mutual understanding and friendship between our two peoples,’ he said.
The Chinese diplomat said the Mid-Autumn Festival, which was to be celebrated the following day, offered a significant cultural bridge between China and Nigeria because of the shared importance both societies attach to family, reunion, harmony and peace.
He said the full moon traditionally reminds Chinese people of loved ones, while the family reunion dinner symbolises warmth and togetherness.
According to him, the traditional Chinese expression that ‘the same moon shines over us, though we may be thousands of miles apart’ reflects the longing for reunion, harmony, peace and a better life.
Jianxing said these values also resonate with Nigerian cultural traditions despite the geographical distance between the two countries.
‘Although China and Nigeria are thousands of miles apart, our shared appreciation of family, friendship and a better life brings our hearts closer together,’ he said.
He linked the cultural exchange to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative, which calls for respect for the diversity of civilisations and greater exchanges and mutual learning among countries.
‘Culture and art know no borders. A song, a dance or a sincere gathering can cross mountains and oceans and touch people’s hearts,’ Yang said.
He described Hunan as a province known for its spicy cuisine, warm and straightforward people, and a strong spirit of optimism, perseverance and determination.
According to him, the province has three World Heritage sites, while nine of its cultural elements have been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
He also highlighted Hunan’s growing economic and people-to-people links with Africa, noting that Changsha, the provincial capital, has hosted the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo since 2019.
Jianxing said the province had developed close ties with Nigeria in trade, investment, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
He said the cultural programme, which included songs, dances, acrobatics and other performances, was designed to provide Nigerians and members of the Chinese community in Abuja with an opportunity to discover and appreciate Hunan and Chinese culture.
He added that the inclusion of Nigerian cultural performances would provide a platform for the Chinese delegation and other participants to experience Nigeria’s cultural diversity.
‘I am confident that these performances will provide an important and vivid window for our Nigerian friends and Chinese delegation and Chinese society in Abuja to discover China and Nigeria, gain a deeper understanding of mutual culture,’ he said.
The Chinese Embassy official encouraged more Nigerians to visit Hunan to experience its cultural heritage and the hospitality of its people.
He said increased cultural exchanges would further strengthen the relationship between Hunan and Nigeria, particularly between Hunan and Abuja.
The event also comes as China and Nigeria mark 55 years of diplomatic relations.
Jianxing noted that 2026 had also been designated the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, providing an additional platform for strengthening cultural and social connections between China and African countries.
He said the timing of the programme was significant, coming shortly before October 1, when China celebrates the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and Nigeria marks its Independence Day.
According to him, the Chinese Embassy had hosted a National Day reception in Abuja the previous day to celebrate China’s achievements over the past 77 years and highlight progress in China-Nigeria cooperation in politics, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
Some participants at the cultural event had also attended the National Day reception, he said.
Jianxing called for continued use of culture and the arts to reinforce the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
‘Let us continue to use culture and art as a medium to celebrate the rock-solid and enduring friendship between the Chinese and Nigerian peoples, and to further strengthen the emotional bonds of mutual understanding and affinity within the China-Nigeria comprehensive strategic partnership,’ he said.
He said the partnership should continue to serve the interests of the peoples of both countries while contributing to broader international cooperation.
‘Let us continue to build bridges through culture and friendship through art, bringing our peoples even closer together and contributing to the deepening of the China-Nigeria comprehensive strategic partnership,’ Jianxing said.
Jianxing expressed hope that the cultural event would contribute to stronger friendship and understanding between the two countries.
On his part, Abdulkarim Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, represented by Musa Alhamdu, said the programme provided an important platform for Nigeria and China to deepen friendship, mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges through culture and the arts.
He welcomed the Chinese delegation from Hunan Province, describing the cultural programme as a reflection of the shared humanity and mutual understanding between Nigeria and China.
‘Culture has a unique ability to bring people together. It translates language, geography and differences, allowing us to discover what we share as human beings,’ he said.
According to him, music, dance, theatre, acrobatics, puppetry, traditional arts and other forms of creative expression provide avenues for societies to tell their stories, preserve their heritage and build bridges between communities and nations.
He said the programme was therefore more than a cultural performance, describing it as a celebration of Nigeria-China friendship, cultural diversity, mutual respect and people-to-people engagement.
The permanent secretary particularly welcomed the artists and cultural practitioners from Hunan Province, whose programme featured song, dance, theatre, acrobatics and shadow art.
He said the participation of institutions involved in the protection, preservation, inheritance and promotion of traditional cultural expressions was significant because cultural heritage needed to be transmitted to future generations.
‘While culture belongs to the past, it must also be preserved and transmitted to future generations so that it can continue to inspire creativity and innovation,’ Ibrahim said.
He noted that Nigeria, like China, possessed extraordinary cultural diversity and deeply rooted traditions spanning indigenous music, dance, theatre, visual arts, festivals, crafts, fashion, film, literature and contemporary creative industries.
According to him, Nigeria’s evolving cultural heritage, which remains connected to its history, provides a strong foundation for sustained cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Ibrahim said the relationship between Nigeria and China had expanded over the years beyond cultural engagement to include agriculture, education, infrastructure, trade and other areas of socio-economic development.
He acknowledged the role of the Chinese Embassy and the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria in facilitating cultural collaboration and creating opportunities for cultural practitioners and audiences from both countries to engage with one another.
‘We appreciate this spirit of friendship and partnership,’ he said.
The permanent secretary said cultural diplomacy remained an important instrument for strengthening international relations, promoting tourism and creating opportunities for practitioners in Nigeria’s creative sector.
He said programmes such as the Hunan cultural exchange enabled artists to travel, collaborate, learn from one another and expose new audiences to the cultural heritage of both countries.
Such exchanges, he added, also demonstrated the economic potential of culture and creativity.
‘For us at the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, cultural diplomacy is an important instrument for strengthening international relations, promoting tourism and creating opportunities for our creative practitioners,’ Ibrahim said.
He said Nigeria was committed to developing its creative economy as a significant contributor to national development, employment, tourism, investment and international cultural relations.
The government, he said, viewed cultural exchanges with China not only as opportunities for artistic interaction but also as platforms for exploring new partnerships, creative collaborations, tourism opportunities and skills development.
He added that such cooperation could create avenues for young Nigerians to participate more actively in the global creative economy.
‘As we welcome our brothers and sisters from Hunan Province, we equally look forward to showcasing the warm hospitality and extraordinary cultural heritage of Nigeria,’ he said.
Ibrahim called for expanded exchanges involving artists, cultural institutions, museums, theatres, creative entrepreneurs, young people and tourism stakeholders from both countries.
He said greater interaction would help deepen understanding of the traditions of Nigeria and China while creating relationships that extend beyond individual cultural events.
‘The moon that shines over China is the same moon that shines over Nigeria,’ he said, describing the symbolism as a reminder that despite differences in history and culture, both countries shared a common humanity and a common world.
‘That is the essence of Shared Moon, Shared Moment,’ he said.
He urged stakeholders in both countries to build on the existing relationship and explore more opportunities for meaningful cultural cooperation.
‘To our distinguished visitors from Hunan, I say once again, welcome to Nigeria, welcome to Africa. May your stay be memorable, fruitful and filled with the warmth of Nigerian hospitality,’ he said.
He expressed the hope that the Nigeria-China relationship would continue to expand and that cultural exchanges would become enduring bridges of friendship between the peoples of both countries.
‘May the friendship between Nigeria and China continue to grow from strength to strength and may our shared cultural moments become enduring bridges of friendship between our people,’ Ibrahim said.