Intangible cultural heritage bolsters China-Russia friendship

Li Alisa, a student from Qingdao West Coast New Area Experimental Junior Middle School, has returned from a 10-day Arctic expedition organized by Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom.

To commemorate her journey, Li presented a large-scale painting, a collaborative work created by her, volunteers, and fellow students, which blends Chinese and Russian cultural elements with a modern vision of global cooperation.

The artwork, a traditional Chinese scroll crafted in the style of a traditional New Year painting, tells a three-part story. The right section, "Laying the Foundation of Friendship", symbolizes Sino-Russian relations with icons like pandas, brown bears, Moscow's Red Square, the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, and doves of peace.

The middle section, "Cooperative Exploration", highlights scientific and economic collaboration, featuring a Sino-Russian icebreaker, the Beidou satellite, and polar bears, representing a commitment to shared exploration and ecological protection.

The left section, "Building a Shared Future", portrays a harmonious city of the future where global youth, robots, and marine life coexist, promoting a vision of humanity and nature living in harmony.

This powerful piece serves as a cultural bridge, embodying core values of peace, prosperity, and collaboration. It deepens the friendship between China and Russia and is a clear message from the younger generation that they are committed to a shared future for humanity. The artwork is also a call for international cooperation to protect the polar environment and build a harmonious global community.

A photo of Li Alisa during the Arctic expedition. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A look at the collaborative artwork by Li Alisa and her peers, a piece that thoughtfully merges multicultural imagery with a modern narrative. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of the Arctic expedition team pose for a group photo with an icebreaker in the Arctic. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]