On the morning of June 18, the opening ceremony of Hubei Week at the China Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka was solemnly held at the China Pavilion on the Expo grounds in Osaka, Japan, under the theme "Low-Carbon Living, Green Development." The series is organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Hubei Sub-Council (CCPIT Hubei). He Lijun, Deputy Secretary-General of the Hubei Provincial Government and Director-General of the Counsellors' Office; Xue Jian, Consul General of China in Osaka; Nagano Hikaru, Executive Director of the International Bureau of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition; Zhuang Xiuhui, Chief Director of JETRO Osaka; and Luo Lei, Deputy Director of the China Pavilion, attended and delivered remarks. More than 150 representatives from Japanese local governments, several national pavilions, and business communities from both countries were present.
During the opening ceremony, promotional videos on Hubei's overall profile and on culture and tourism were screened, and the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism delivered a destination presentation. Through exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, and stage performances, the program publicized Hubei's economic and social development, achievements in high-level opening-up, and the progress of its culture and tourism industry, presenting a comprehensive image of Hubei.
In the exhibition section, the Hubei Shuihudi "Qin Bamboo Slips"—a fixed exhibit at the China Pavilion hailed as the world's earliest environmental-protection law—drew steady streams of visitors. The Marquis Yi of Zeng Chime Bells, recently inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, resounded at the China Pavilion, attracting large crowds. A curated photo exhibition of 20 works portrayed Hubei from multiple perspectives, including provincial overview, industrial development, ecological environment, and cultural heritage.
In the intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, carved paper-cutting, Huangmei drawnwork embroidery ("tiaohua"), Han embroidery, Qichun moxibustion, dough modeling, Chu incense, chime-bell dance, Enshi Yulu tea, and Zhaoliqiao Qingzhuan dark-brick tea took the stage in turn. Several state-level inheritors gave live demonstrations and interacted with visitors, who could take part hands-on and experience up close the exquisite craftsmanship of Hubei's intangible cultural heritage.
The stage program featured a Chinese ensemble piece "Prosperous National Music," the Hubei folk song "Huang Sijie," the duet dance "Chu Ling," a suona solo "A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," the martial arts piece "Wudang Harmonies," the male solo "Three Gorges Love," and the group dance "Phoenix Dancing over Chu," offering audiences a distinctive Jingchu-themed audio-visual feast.
Guided by the goals of expanding economic and trade cooperation, deepening people-to-people exchanges, and showcasing an open image, Hubei Week adopts a "1+4+4+N" format: one opening ceremony; four economic and cultural exchange activities; city showcase events for Wuhan, Jingzhou, Huangshi, and Shiyan; plus a number of supporting activities. Together they present Hubei's profound culture, its livable and business-friendly environment that is also ideal for tourism, and its strong green-development momentum. The series builds a bridge for economic cooperation and cultural exchange between Hubei and Japan—as well as other Expo participants—and presents to the world a refreshed image of Hubei's opening-up and high-quality development.
