‌2025 marks the fifth anniversary of sister-city relations between Shanghai and Budapest, Hungary. On the afternoon of June 15 (local time), the 2018 "Charming Shanghai" city image promotion event kicked off at the Buda Creative House—a UNESCO World Heritage site in Budapest.‌

Budapest Creative Hub

 

 The "Charming Shanghai" series of events was guided by the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Government Information Office and the Budapest Mayor's Office, and co-organized by various Chinese and foreign institutions, including the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Shanghai Tourism Bureau, the Shanghai Commerce Commission, the Shanghai Library, the Hungarian Consulate General in Shanghai, the Budapest Festival and Tourism Center, and the Hungarian Institute of Athena Geopolitics. The events were jointly undertaken by the Shanghai Promotion Center for City of Design and the Budapest Creative House. Over a hundred distinguished guests from various sectors of China and Hungary, including Xu Kunlin, Vice Mayor of Shanghai; Duan Jielong, Chinese Ambassador to Hungary; and Sarai-Bobrovnitzky, Vice Mayor of Budapest, attended the opening ceremony and visited the exhibition.

The Chinese delegates/participants took a group photo in front of the Budapest Creative Hub.

 

In his speech, Xu Kunlin highlighted the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will be held in Shanghai this November. He emphasized that hosting the Import Expo is a major initiative by China to proactively open its market to the world. He warmly welcomed Hungarian friends to attend the event in Shanghai and take the opportunity to introduce Hungary’s high-quality products and services to the Chinese market.

Vice Mayor Xu Kunlin delivered a speech

Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Duan Jielong delivered a speech

Deputy Mayor of Budapest Szabolcs Szalay-Bobrovniczky delivered a speech.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Xu Kunlin presented Budapest Deputy Mayor Ms. Alexandra with a Shanghai city image album.

Over a hundred Chinese and Hungarian dignitaries attended the opening ceremony of "Charming Shanghai".

 

The week-long "Charming Shanghai" series featured:

• A photography exhibition by the Shanghai Information Office and People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

• The "Shanghai Living Room" cultural exhibition showcasing 11 Shanghai creative enterprises under the Shanghai Promotion Center for City of Design

• "Shanghai Rhyme" featuring select works of Haipai (Shanghai-style) painters

• Intangible cultural heritage performances

• AR interactive experiences with "Shanghai Dialect Posters"

Through these distinctive Shanghai-style cultural displays and diverse activities, local attendees felt as though they had stepped into a Shanghainese home, experiencing the city's unique culture and brands.

"By engaging with these multi-sensory activities—where you can listen, watch, touch, and interact—I truly understand why it's called 'Charming Shanghai,'" said Thomas, CEO of Budapest Creative Hub.

 

Shanghai Vice Mayor Xu Kunlin and Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Duan Jielong visited the "Shanghai Living Room" cultural exhibition, where they took commemorative photos with participating exhibitors. 

“上海客厅”文创展（左右滑动查看下一张）

Delegation from Hungarian Cultural and Creative Industries Conducts Exchange Visit

 

Budapest residents learned to craft traditional Chinese folk arts, including Chinese knots and Shanghai velvet embroidery, as part of the intangible cultural heritage experience.

Audiences admired the artworks at the "Shanghai Rhyme" painting exhibition.

 

At the opening ceremony, two significant events took place: the book donation ceremony for Shanghai Library's "Window to Shanghai" project, and the handover ceremony of Shanghai-style furniture for the "Shanghai Living Room" at Budapest Creative Hub. Concurrently, the "Service Trade Overseas Key Market Expansion Guide (European Volume: Hungary)" was released, jointly compiled by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, the National Base for International Cultural Trade (Shanghai), and the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.

Book Donation Ceremony for Shanghai Library's "Window to Shanghai" Project

"Donation Ceremony of Shanghai-style (Haipai) Furniture for the 'Shanghai Living Room' at Budapest Creative Hub"

 

Following the opening ceremony, the "Heritage · Innovation · Future" Cultural Creativity Forum was held at the "Shanghai Living Room" exhibition site. The forum was moderated by Levente Horváth, former Hungarian Consul General in Shanghai, and featured in-depth discussions among distinguished guests including:

• Theodora Bán, Director of Budapest Festival and Tourism Center

• Mihály Balázs, renowned Hungarian architect

• Zhang Zhan, Director of Shanghai Promotion Center for City of Design

• Jiang Hong, Artistic Director of Shanghai 8号桥 Creative Park

• Gao Wei, inheritor of Shanghai-style furniture intangible cultural heritage

The panel explored new developments and trends in the "Belt and Road" initiative and China-Hungary creative cultural industry cooperation.

The forum was chaired by Levente Horváth, former Hungarian Consul General in Shanghai.

Zhang Zhan, Director of Shanghai Promotion Center for City of Design, delivered a keynote speech.

Jiang Hong, Artistic Director of Shanghai 8号桥 Creative Park, delivered a keynote speech.

Mr. Gao Wei, Chairman of AZEN Furniture, delivered a keynote speech.

Supplementary News: On the morning of June 14, Shanghai Vice Mayor Xu Kunlin held talks with Gábor Bagdy, First Deputy Mayor of Budapest. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on deepening bilateral economic, trade, and cultural cooperation, and jointly renewed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding on Friendly Cooperation between the two cities.