A bird's-eye view of West Lake in Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: westlake_china]

Hangzhou recently hosted the China-Italy World Cultural Heritage Sites Cooperation Forum, bringing together the rich historical legacies of both nations.

The event was held within the framework of a cultural memorandum signed in 2019, solidifying the cultural ties between China and Italy.

As nations boast a significant number of World Cultural Heritage sites, China and Italy are distinguished representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, with the cities of Verona in Italy and Hangzhou in China sharing a unique connection recognized by UNESCO.

The recent forum served as a platform for dialogue on managing and preserving world cultural heritages.

Mariassunta Peci, director of the UNESCO office of the Italian Ministry of Culture, highlighted Italy's ongoing efforts to enhance the protection system for cultural heritages through the implementation of laws and regulations.

Guan Qiang, deputy administrator of China's National Administration of Cultural Heritage, said he was looking forward to the expansion of the memorandum of understanding to include more Chinese and Italian world cultural heritage sites.

He emphasized the importance of all parties involved implementing the targets outlined in the MOU and the twinning agreement. Furthermore, he called for collaborative efforts to study and formulate medium- and long-term cooperation plans as well as annual plans, fostering a synergistic relationship between the two nations in the realm of cultural heritage preservation.

The city of Verona. [Photo/WeChat account: westlake_china]