Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne (center), Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and his delegation visit Liuke Village in Boao Town, Qionghai City, Hainan Province. (Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Qionghai City)

A Sri Lankan delegation led by Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, visited Liuke Village in Qionghai's Boao Town on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026. There, they gained firsthand insight into local rural development and discussed deepening exchanges and cooperation.

Liuke Village is an ancient settlement blending overseas Chinese culture with tropical charm. During the visit, the delegation toured attractions including the Rural Reception Hall, Cai Family Residential Compound, and the Thousand-Year Chongyang Tree, and gained detailed insights into local achievements in rural revitalization and culture-tourism integration.

Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne (second from right) and his delegation visit the Qionghai City Exhibition. (Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Qionghai City)

"This is my first visit to China. I'm deeply impressed by what we've seen in Liuke Village, which embodies China's ancient traditional culture. Over the centuries, the people here have worked hard to achieve the level of development we can see today. Moreover, this development embodies integrity and global connectivity," said Wickramaratne.

The Sri Lankan delegation expressed admiration for local development and showed willingness to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Hainan. Wickramaratne stated that this visit to Boao left a deep impression on him, and he looks forward to establishing a sister-city relationship with Qionghai to promote in-depth cooperation between the two regions across various fields.

Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne (center, second row) and his delegation visit the Qionghai City Exhibition. (Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Qionghai City)

"This is an experience I've never had before. The Boao Forum for Asia and its outcomes are astonishing. The concept of 'Creating the Future Through Connectivity, Vitality, and Cooperation' conveyed by the forum sends a positive signal to the world, leading Asia and the world with a focus on compassion and connectivity," said Wickramaratne.

Regarding cooperation, he stated that Sri Lanka is rich in gemstone resources and hopes to leverage Hainan's preferential policies to achieve mutually beneficial collaboration in gemstone processing.

Wickramaratne also explained that ties between Sri Lanka and China go back more than a millennium to the era of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Now, new forms of connectivity are being established, including people-to-people exchanges, cultural integration, knowledge sharing, and technology transfer.

At the old wharf in the village, Wickramaratne mentioned Master Faxian (Fa-Hsien) and Zheng He who are two friendly envoys widely known by the people in Sri Lanka, and extended his hope to the time-honored story of Sri Lanke-China friendship will continue to be written anew.

During the visit, Wikramaratna and his delegation also toured the “High-Standard Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port” Thematic Exhibition & Qionghai City Exhibition on Dongyu Island in Boao.

The visit highlighted Hainan's openness to international cooperation and reflected the global appeal of China's experience in rural development.

The old wharf at Liuke Village.

(Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Qionghai City)

About Liuke Village

According to the "Xuantong-era Lehui County Annals," Liuke Village was once the leading land-water transportation hub in eastern Hainan and a crucial node along the ancient Maritime Silk Road. The Liuma Ancient Ferry served as an official crossing site during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, bearing witness to the legendary stories of overseas merchants and the transformation of their homeland. Comprising three wharfs—Liuke, Xijiang, and Yujia—it connected the Wanquan River waterway with the only official road in eastern Hainan, enabling merchants and travelers direct access to Bo'ao Port, Southeast Asia, and northern Chinese ports. The name "Liuke" (meaning "hosting guests") originated from merchants being forced to stay overnight due to weather disruptions.

The old wharf in the village once served as the primary link to the outside world. It is a vivid reminder of Hainan's long-standing maritime interactions and preserves the historical memory of locals who once set out from here to Southeast Asia in search of new opportunities. Today, thanks to its unique geographical location and heritage, Liuke Village has become a vivid microcosm for observing the historical exchanges between China and South and Southeast Asia.