The Hangzhou Initiative of Innovative Cities is launched at the opening ceremony of 2019 Hangzhou International Day on Sept 5. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The 2019 Hangzhou International Day opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Sept 5, with government officials and representatives from sister cities in attendance.

"This is my fourth visit to Hangzhou and I can see the future here. The city is rapidly becoming more digital," said Kyosti Oikarinen, mayor of Oulu, Finland while addressing the ceremony.

Hangzhou and Oulu have close ties in education. Six Hangzhou schools have facilitated visits to the Finnish city and more than 200 Hangzhou students live in homestays there. It seems like children from Oulu are becoming more interested in learning Chinese, said Oikarinen.

Gabor Gagdy, deputy mayor of Budapest, which has been carrying out exchanges with Hangzhou for 30 years, said Hangzhou, as an innovative center, is becoming increasingly influential when it comes to the construction of intelligent cities.

Many international conferences and meetings are held in Hangzhou due to its first-rate infrastructure and an atmosphere of innovation and entrepreneurship, said Gagdy.

Pablo Agustín Obregón, Consul General of Argentina in Shanghai, praised Hangzhou's efforts in applying digital technology in the tourism sector, saying that Argentina should learn from Hangzhou's experience in this regard.

Expats are awarded with Qianjiang friendship ambassador certificates at the opening ceremony of 2019 Hangzhou International Day on Sept 5. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]