Last year, marking the 30th anniversary of their sister-city pact, the mayor of Gyeongju, Joo Nakyoung, led a delegation to Xi'an. The visit yielded a new memorandum of understanding on archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation between the Xi'an Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology and the Silla Cultural Heritage Research Institute in Gyeongju.

The partnership is a natural fit, said Zhao Fengyan, vice-director of the Xi'an Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology.

"Our institutions have a common focus on archaeology and cultural preservation, which creates natural synergy in our academic work. Historically, our regions were closely connected. For example, artifacts about the Silla Kingdom have been discovered here in Xi'an in recent years. These finds provide a strong basis for joint research projects."