On May 19, just before International Tea Day, a delegation from Wuzhishan City in Hainan Province left Sanya Phoenix International Airport for Italy. This was the Wuzhishan Children’s Choir’s fourth international trip.

This time, the delegation presented three cultural “calling cards”—large-leaf tea, Li and Miao children’s choral music, and Li brocade weaving and embroidery—all of which are aiding this mountainous city in central Hainan to open new windows to the world.

The delegation from Wuzhishan City poses for a group photo before departing from Sanya Phoenix International Airport. (Photo: the Publicity Department of the CPC Wuzhishan Municipal Committee)

Children’s Choir: From Online Collaboration to International Stages

The Wuzhishan Li and Miao Children’s Choir initiated their international cultural exchanges unexpectedly through an online interaction in 2023. During French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China that year, the song “If I Go to China,” performed by the Paris-based Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc, drew extensive online attention in China.

With support from Wuzhishan’s municipal government, a local music teacher and choir children composed a response song called “Singing Wuzhishan to France,” culminating in a virtual choral exchange with French children. This interaction eventually laid the foundation for more extensive cultural exchanges between the two sides.

Since then, the choir’s international presence has continued to grow. In May 2024, they visited Paris for the first time to take part in events celebrating 60 years of diplomatic ties between China and France, sharing the stage with a French choir.

In October of that year, the French children’s choir visited Wuzhishan and performed again in Maona Village. At the same time, the Wuzhishan choir traveled to Jeju, South Korea, to take part in the 63rd Tamna Cultural Festival. In May 2025, the choir returned to France and performed at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

During the choir's upcoming trip to Italy in May 2026, they will perform exchanges with local schools and organize flash-mob performances at various landmark sites.

In May 2025, the Wuzhishan choir once again performed songs of friendship in Paris. (Photo: Wuzhishan Integrated Media Center)

Li Brocade: From Mountain Looms to International Fashion Weeks

Li brocade is a traditional craft of the Li ethnic group in Hainan, involving weaving, dyeing, spinning, and embroidery, and has a history of over 3,000 years.

In April 2023, Li brocade from Wuzhishan was showcased at Milan Design Week. By September 2024, it had featured at Paris Fashion Week as part of a collaboration with Chinese-American designer Vivienne Tam for the “Li 2025 Spring/Summer Collection.” In March 2025, Li brocade made a return to Paris Fashion Week, further blending traditional patterns with contemporary fashion.

In just over two years, Li brocade has transitioned from a local intangible cultural heritage craft to gaining recognition in the international fashion industry.

At the same time, Wuzhishan established a close partnership with Istituto Marangoni in Italy to jointly promote talent development in Li brocade and fashion design. The choir’s visit to Italy is also a continuation of this collaboration.

At Paris Fashion Week in September 2024, Wuzhishan collaborated with designer Vivienne Tam to launch the “Li 2025 Spring/Summer Collection.” (Photo: organizers of the event)

Large-Leaf Tea: From First Export to Overseas Promotion

Situated in Hainan’s tropical rainforest zone, Wuzhishan is among China’s earliest regions for spring tea production. In early 2024, it introduced group standards for its tropical rainforest large-leaf tea, establishing a basis for large-scale, brand-focused growth in the tea industry.

Sanya Customs has designated staff to assist tea enterprises with export procedures, facilitating quick customs declarations and approvals for exported tea products. In April 2024, Wuzhishan large-leaf tea was exported overseas for the first time, entering the British market.

In March 2025, a Wuzhishan delegation hosted an early spring tea promotion at the China Cultural Center in Paris. During their trip to Italy in May 2026, which coincides with International Tea Day, a dedicated tropical rainforest large-leaf tea tasting area will be established, featuring live tea ceremonies performed by tea masters.

In March 2025, a Wuzhishan delegation held an early spring tea promotion event at the China Cultural Center in Paris (Photo: Wuzhishan Integrated Media Center)

A Cycle of “Going Global” and “Bringing In”

Looking back at Wuzhishan’s recent cultural outreach, a clear recipe emerges: focusing on tea, music, and embroidery as the main cultural hooks, and integrating cultural shows, industrial collaborations, and youth exchanges into a cohesive program.

Consequently, French children have revisited Wuzhishan, international designers have collaborated on Li brocade projects, and overseas buyers are now showing interest in Wuzhishan large-leaf tea.

This interaction between “going global” and “bringing in” is aiding this mountain-bounded city in central Hainan to develop sustainable channels for international exchange.