Mayors and city representatives from around the world have gathered in the eastern Chinese city of Huangshan this week to explore new paths for heritage protection and urban development.

The 2026 World Mayors Dialogue in Huangshan, Anhui Province, being held from May 28 to 31, has brought together mayors and representatives from 10 countries, from as far as Germany to as near as Nepal.

"We work together for the preservation of our buildings and our cities. It's very important that we have this friendship," said Alexander Badrow, mayor of the historic Hanseatic city of Stralsund, who has visited China multiple times.

Noting the host city's impressive tech, livelihood upgrades and initiatives to protect local culture, he said cities can boost development by tapping into their unique strengths and pursuing friendly exchanges.

Huangshan City is famed for the eponymous mountain range, whose name translates to Yellow Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its natural beauty. It is also home to a wealth of well-preserved Hui-style buildings dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties with distinctive black roof tiles and white walls featuring exquisite wood, stone and brick carvings.

Visiting officials this week trekked the mountain and learned more about the craftsmanship behind local architecture, the region's auto industry advances, and green development principles.

Huangshan Mayor He Yi said the gathering aims to build an international platform for equal dialogue and practical collaboration, where participants can jointly protect the common memories and ecological assets of mankind and contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

"We would like to take this event as an opportunity to build a bridge of mutual learning and exchange, and explore new paths for resilient heritage site development together," He said.