On June 9, the Jinan city promotion event "Opportunity China · Springs in Jinan" was showcased at the Rennes Tea Cultural Festival in France. At the Jinan Garden in Morpar Park, Rennes, Chinese and foreign tea lovers, tea merchants, tea artists, and others gathered for the "Tea for Harmony" cultural exchange event hosted by the Brittany Confucius Institute, sharing and experiencing the charm of tea culture. Representative tea products from Jinan, intangible cultural heritage items and creative exhibits featuring the spring city's cultural characteristics attracted numerous local citizens.

Skilled Jinan paper-cutting, exquisite Jinan intangible heritage cuisine, and well-designed spring city cultural and creative products were popular in local citizens. Prepared by local tea artists, green tea of Jinan Changqing and rose tea of Pingyin have become cups of fragrant tea in the hands of Rennes citizens.

The fragrance of tea weaves together the romance of the Seine’s banks and the grace of Baotu Spring, while centuries of flowing culture build a bridge between the hearts of the Chinese and French peoples. After sampling the tea, local citizens Alexandre denni remarked: "Jinan green tea has a refreshing taste with a hint of sweetness, leaving me enchanted." French tea culture enthusiast Weixiali expressed his feelings in Chinese: "Jinan tea is very nice!"

At the Jinan Garden in Rennes, the photography exposition " Opportunity China · Springs in Jinan” jointly hosted by the information Office of Jinan Municipal People's Government and Brittany Confucius Institute. It featured the photographic artworks themed around Jinan's springs, showcasing the character of spring city and interpreting its unique charm. The exhibition attracted numerous local citizens and Sino-French cultural representatives.

After visiting the "Opportunity China · Springs In Jinan" photo exhibition，Bernard, a Rennes resident, remarked that he previously knew little about Jinan. But though the abundant visual documentation, he sparked profound interest in this city famed for its springs. Now he hopes to visit Jinan personally in the future.

The Jinan Garden, nestled in Rennes' Morpar Park, spans approximately 5,000 square meters. Incorporating architectural elements including waterside pavilions, artificial hills, archways, moon gates, chuihua gates and arched bridges, it fully embodies traditional Chinese garden and distinctive Jinan characteristics. This landmark was jointly designed and built by Chinese and French garden artists and architectural teams. The garden stands as a landmark of the sister-city relationship between Rennes and Jinan, and an important witness to the sister city. It demonstrates the fruitful outcomes of cultural exchange and cooperation between China and France. On July 17, 2002, Jinan and Rennes, France established a sister city relationship. Rennes became the 10th international sister city paired with Jinan.

During the Tea Culture Festival, a documentary production team from Jinan Radio and Television Station undertook thematic production focused on the Rennes Jinan Garden. The core creative team conducted broader connections in France, interviewing numerous French people. These included Rennes City Council officials, Brittany Confucius Institute representatives, members of the Rennes-Jinan Friendship Association, construction crews, and gardeners. Interviews covered garden design, construction, and Sino-French cooperation. The documentary will delve into the experience of substantive collaboration, robust cultural exchanges, and the promotion of traditional sister-city friendship between Jinan and Rennes, showcasing fruitful outcomes of their engagement. Through individual narratives, it embodies the profound value of people-to-people bonds, presenting a typical model of international sister-city cooperation. The documentary on the Rennes Jinan Garden will soon be formally released.

（Translated by Liu Zimeng）