Colombo (People's Daily) — Highlighting the deep-rooted connections between two historic maritime hubs, a cultural exchange event titled "Bosom Friends: Ningbo & Colombo - Stories of Life, Culture and Connection" was held at Port City Colombo on Friday.
Photo from X account "NingboVibe"
The event brought together nearly 100 diplomats, municipal representatives and journalists to explore the shared heritage of port cities.
The event opened with the vibrant rhythms of traditional Sri Lankan instrumental music, which quickly gave way to a collaborative performance of the classic Chinese song "The Moon Represents My Heart." Sung by a duet of young artists from both nations, the musical tribute set a collaborative tone for an evening focused on bilateral harmony and future maritime cooperation.
During a featured storytelling segment, prominent figures from academia, commerce and the arts shared personal narratives illustrating the tight-knit relationship between the two nations. Yasiru Ranaraja, founding director of BRI Lanka, traced a millennium of maritime history, drawing a direct line from the ancient voyages of the Buddhist monk Faxian and the explorer Zheng He to the modern shipping lanes currently linking the Ningbo Zhoushan Port with the Port of Colombo. Cheng Cuiqin, vice president of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in Sri Lanka, expanded on this commercial bond by sharing how Chinese manufacturing has integrated into local Sri Lankan industries over the last decade.
The human element of this geopolitical relationship was further emphasized by expatriates who have bridged the two cultures. Tania Bandini Jayasena, a Sri Lankan gem trader who has lived in Ningbo for 14 years, described her evolution into a self-proclaimed local, forging cross-cultural bonds over trade and regional cuisine. Similarly, Sri Lankan architect Ashain De Silva recounted how a childhood fascination with Chinese martial arts films eventually inspired him to settle in Ningbo, where he now designs buildings that blend Chinese and Sri Lankan aesthetics.
The historical depth of these migrations was underscored by Yu Yuanyuan, associate professor at Yunnan Normal University and author of Oral History of Chinese Diaspora in Sri Lanka, who presented research on the century-long resilience and integration of the Chinese community in Sri Lanka. Concluding the evening, officials inaugurated the "Hi Craft" Cultural Hub, a new institutional platform designed to provide the Sri Lankan public with direct, immersive access to Chinese cultural exhibits and ongoing exchange programs.