Our reporter Yu Jinghao Zhang Wenhao
Feel the strong pulse of new productivity on the production lines of Luoyang Bearing and China YTO Smart Factory; experience the majestic momentum of the millennium context in front of the giant statues of the World Cultural Heritage Longmen Grottoes; savor the street fireworks and the surging vitality of China in the crowded streets of the ancient city of Luoyi... From October 9th to 11th, guided by the State Council Information Office, with the theme of "continuing the cultural context of the ancient capital" The "2026 World Mayors Dialogue·Luoyang" event with the theme of "Mutual Learning of Urban Civilization" was held in Luoyang City, Henan Province. More than 90 mayors, mayor representatives, representatives of international organizations, and experts and scholars from more than 10 countries including China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Argentina, and Algeria held dialogues on topics such as cultural heritage protection and inheritance, industrial transformation and upgrading, and urban renewal, discussing urban cooperation and sparking ideas.
Industrial leaps, building strong cities with intelligence and enhancing development resilience
During the event, foreign guests visited the Luozhuo Group's smart factory, CITIC Heavy Industry's heavy-duty CNC workshop, China YTO's large wheel tractor production line, etc., witnessed the process of forging basic components for high-speed railways, large aircraft, nuclear power plants and other major countries' heavy equipment, and listened to the stories of these old factories going through the pain of transformation and achieving innovative breakthroughs.
Roberto Di Stefano, mayor of Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, boarded a Dongfanghong tractor in the open space of China YTO Factory. He turned the steering wheel and experienced the fun of driving a large tractor with the assistance of the staff. "The driving experience is great! China's industrial chain advantages are impressive. We look forward to deepening cooperation between the two countries in manufacturing, tourism and other fields to jointly enhance the resilience of industrial development," Roberto said.
Entering the China YTO production workshop, foreign guests walked along the large wheel tractor production line and communicated with Chinese staff from time to time. On this production line, tractors of different horsepower can be assembled, and one comes off the assembly line every three minutes on average.
John Mahu Macharia, representative of Nakuru County in Kenya, said that Nakuru County is promoting industrial renewal and agricultural modernization, and the modern mechanized equipment produced by China YTO has great market potential in Kenya. We look forward to strengthening cooperation with Chinese companies to promote Kenya’s industrial upgrading and product improvement, benefiting economic development and people’s lives.
Tony Hanson, deputy mayor of County Durham, said that County Durham was once an important heavy industry base in the UK, with more than 4,000 industrial-related companies, and is now looking for driving forces for the development of emerging industries and digital transformation. He said that his visit to Luoyang allowed him to see the hope of reviving the old industrial base. Durham County hopes to strengthen cooperation with Chinese cities and build emerging industrial clusters and technology centers so that more young people can benefit from industrial development.
In recent years, three-wheeled motorcycles produced in Yanshi District, Luoyang City have become popular overseas. Through technological empowerment and quality improvement, the small "Sanbengzi" has become a bright business card for Luoyang's manufacturing to go overseas. In 2025, the region will export 98,000 complete three-wheel motorcycles and 20 million parts and components, with total foreign trade exports reaching 770 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31%. As of June this year, the region has exported 55,000 vehicles, achieving an export value of 430 million yuan. It is expected that by the end of 2026, the number of exported vehicles will reach 110,000, the export volume will increase to 860 million yuan, and the export of complete vehicles will increase by 30% year-on-year.
"Sanbengzi" is exported to African countries and also brings new job opportunities to the locals. "We have benefited a lot from China's successful practices." said Ramdan Lunis, representative of Algiers Province, Algeria. "We look forward to strengthening cooperation with China to provide more opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and promote the innovative development of more small and medium-sized enterprises."
"Luoyang's smart and green transformation is impressive." Emilia Ziva, deputy mayor of Iraklio, Attica, Greece, said that the development of emerging technologies should be dedicated to making people's lives better, and future industrial development and urban planning should be more sustainable and smarter.
Keep the cultural context alive and keep the cultural heritage alive
At the foot of Longmen Mountain and on the banks of the Yi River, the Buddha statues of the Longmen Grottoes stand quietly after more than 1,500 years of wind and rain. This treasure house of grotto art is also a testimony of the encounter and blending of Eastern and Western civilizations. On the observation deck, Chinese and foreign guests held a dialogue focusing on respecting the diversity of world civilizations and strengthening international cultural exchanges and cooperation.
"History is not a burden to the city, but its most precious wealth. Civilization is not a dusty static exhibit, but a beacon that can illuminate the way forward." Robbie Roddis, chairman of Durham County Council in the United Kingdom, said that the value of a city lies not only in creating history, but also in inheriting culture and nurturing future generations. "We look forward to Durham County strengthening cooperation with Chinese cities including Luoyang City, learning from each other's experiences, and jointly writing a new chapter of exchanges and mutual learning between urban civilizations," Rodis said.
Adhering to the principle of putting protection first and minimizing intervention, Luoyang City systematically promotes the restoration and environmental improvement of the Longmen Grottoes, and uses digital technology for archiving and restoration. Sergei Chertkov, mayor of Mogilev City in Belarus, said that Mogilev City has a history of thousands of years. Many historical buildings were damaged during World War II. Restoring these buildings is of great significance to the city. He said that Mogilev City is actively strengthening dialogue with cities from various countries, including Luoyang City, and looks forward to learning from experience in the fields of heritage protection and urban renewal so that more international tourists can see the restored parks, museums and art galleries and understand the city's history.
"Here, green plants and flowers are everywhere. The city has implemented the concept of green development very well." Nachida Beljuan, deputy governor of Algiers Province, Algeria, said that the history of the ancient city of Kasbah in Algiers can be traced back to more than 1,000 years ago. In recent years, 13 monuments have been repaired and digital means have been used to strengthen protection. "Protecting the ancient city is not just about repairing stones and walls, but also about repairing urban space and historical memory."
The ancient capital Luoyang has 3 and 6 world cultural heritages, 51 national key cultural relics protection units, and more than 10,000 immovable cultural relics. While protecting cultural heritage, Luoyang City actively promotes the high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry. In this regard, Mao Sokheng, deputy mayor of Siem Reap, Cambodia, said: "Siem Reap is a world-famous historical and cultural city and has the world cultural heritage Angkor Wat. Siem Reap improves the tourist experience by improving infrastructure, and at the same time promotes handicrafts, special food and skills training, so that tourism can benefit the community. This visit allowed me to understand the achievements of Luoyang City in this regard. We have a lot in common."
The ancient capital is renovated, allowing the historical districts to bloom with new style
At dusk, the lanterns in Luoyang City Ruins Park of the Sui and Tang Dynasties were lit up. The Yingtianmen city gate, restored to full proportions on the site, slowly opened, and "military officers" in Tang Dynasty warrior uniforms and "ladies" in undershirts and carrying palace lanterns performed the "entering the city ceremony", recreating the atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty thousands of years ago. In the ancient city of Luoyi, "fairies" with fluttering clothes fly in the sky and scatter petals. The intangible cultural heritage shops, Hanfu experience center and cultural and creative market attract many tourists... Luoyang has more than 5,000 years of civilization history, more than 4,000 years of urban history, and more than 1,500 years of capital history. In particular, the overlap between Chinese cultural heritage and modern cities in the central city reaches 51%. The guests at the meeting felt the new image of the ancient capital in the light and shadow that blended ancient and modern times, and realized the vivid practice of cultural protection and coordinated economic and social development.
"My visit here showed me that heritage protection and urban development are not necessarily in conflict," said Stefano Mazzetti, director of the Office of the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Italy. "Bologna has a long history and is very international. Cultural heritage protection is inseparable from urban life. For example, our arcades are world cultural heritage and can still provide shelter from wind and rain today."
"Heritage must not only be protected, but also kept alive. Luoyang City's experience in fully preserving historical relics while promoting revitalization and integrating ancient civilization into modern urban development is of great reference significance," said Julio Zamora, mayor of Tigre, Argentina.
Hansen said that equal emphasis should be placed on developing the economy and preserving urban memory. In the future, cities should build sustainable communities so that both the environment and culture can be preserved. Urban renewal cannot stop and must continue to innovate. He will bring these experiences back to the UK and explore the possibility of further cooperation with Chinese cities.
During the event, Luoyang carried out in-depth docking with cities from many countries around sister city pairing, industrial cooperation, and cultural and tourism exchanges, to promote the transformation of dialogue results into pragmatic cooperation.
"From climate change to sustainable development, from cultural heritage protection to urban digital transformation, these global challenges cannot be addressed by any city alone." Rodis said that the World Mayors Dialogue provides a valuable platform for cities to break geographical and cultural boundaries, communicate candidly, and learn from each other. He hopes that different civilizations can enlighten each other through exchanges, let ancient wisdom provide innovative solutions for modern cities, and work together towards a more sustainable and brilliant future.
