By Jin Yingying Fang Jingyi Zhu Jingning
The 7th Hangzhou International Day kicked off on Sep 5, connecting Hangzhou with the world. This year, a series of events were launched to showcase Hangzhou’s harmonious blend of history and modernity, tradition and fashion, culture and economy, and its unique fusion of Eastern and Western influences.
Representatives from 16 countries--including Fiji, Cuba, Uruguay, Portugal, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and East Timor--along with members of international organizations, sister cities, and guests from the UCLG ASPAC Committee on Belt and Road Local Cooperation (BRLC), attended the opening ceremony.
Use “AI Hangzhou” to start your new
local life
A milestone event of this year’s Hangzhou International Day was the official launch of “AI Hangzhou”. This platform, a flagship service of Hangzhou as a “Digital City”, is designed to provide a wide range of digital public services to international visitors.
The “AI Hangzhou” platform consists of three main sections: City Services, City Information, and City Guides. The City Services section includes Government Services, Easy Life, and Heritage Tourism & Exhibitions, covering scenarios like immigration, residency, culture and tourism, healthcare, eSIM, transportation, utility bill payment, and volunteer services. City Information is linked with the “Hangzhoufeel” brand, offering expats regular updates with fresh, fun, and practical content about the city.
International volunteering can also be accessed through “AI Hangzhou”. During this year’s event, the Hangzhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Volunteer Hub launched the “Hangzhou City International Experience Officer (International Volunteer)” program. Foreigners who register as international volunteers through the Volunteer Hub mini-program on “AI Hangzhou” will receive a beautifully designed electronic commemorative certificate.
Expat users praise “AI Hangzhou”
Hangzhoufeel has invited many expats to explore the “AI Hangzhou” mini-program with them. Visitors to Hangzhou can simply search for “AI Hangzhou” on the Alipay App to access a wide range of digital city services. Meanwhile, foreign residents in Hangzhou can enjoy more local benefits through the mini-program.
Professor Sergio Andres Galindo Torres from Westlake University, a Five-Star Card (Permanent Residence Card) holder, has lived in Hangzhou with his family for nearly five years. Since the platform’s trial run, he has actively explored its features and is now a “veteran user”. He shared that the “AI Hangzhou” mini-program offers great convenience in daily life. “When we return from a family trip, we can easily complete accommodation registration through the mini-program, and we also use it to make hospital appointments,” he added.
Daria, a reporter at Hangzhou International Communication Center, discovered that her birthday coincided with Hangzhou International Day. At the Hangzhou International Food Culture Exhibition, her colleagues surprised her with a birthday cake. “This is the first time I’ve celebrated my birthday with so many people, and I feel incredibly happy. I also shared the cake with everyone, and it was gone quickly!” Daria said with surprise.
Through the “AI Hangzhou” platform, Daria has promoted the convenient, deposit-free public bicycles known as “Little Red Bikes”. She has also used the mini-program to book visits to museums and exhibitions, enriching her life in the city.
Food festival celebrates vibrant global lifestyles
The Hangzhou International Food Festival, held from Sep 5 to 8, was a highlight of this year’s Hangzhou International Day, offering residents a unique opportunity to explore global cuisines. The festival featured a variety of exotic products and showcased vibrant lifestyles from around the world. Nearly 30 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions participated, along with more than 20 traditional snacks from Zhejiang’s intangible cultural heritage.
With over 1,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor exhibition space, the festival offered an array of experiences, from Malaysian durians to Uruguayan wines, and from goods from Uzbekistan and Iran to those from Central and Eastern Europe and the South of France. The expo featured a diverse selection, including wine, coffee, agricultural products, chocolates, cosmetics, and handcrafted jewelry from Belt and Road Initiative countries.