To commemorate three decades of friendly ties with Namwon city of South Korea, a delegation from Jiangsu's Yancheng city conducted a cultural exchange mission to Namwon and  Gwangju in South Korea of from April 29 to May 2.

The visit aimed to deepen sister-city cooperation and foster people-to-people bonds through a series of official dialogues and artistic showcases.

The itinerary featured high-level meetings with the Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju, the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council, and the Mayor of Namwon. Discussions centered on expanding practical cooperation in education, youth exchange, tourism, and sports.

This mission signals a shift in the bilateral relationship from seasonal festival interactions toward long-term institutional and industrial co-development.

A highlight of the tour was the appearance of "Little Spoon", a popular cultural mascot inspired by the rare spoon-billed sandpipers, which come to Yancheng in flocks every year for wintering. Representing Yancheng's ecological commitment, the character became a social media sensation while visiting the Kim Byeong-jong Art Museum and Fiorium, an immersive media art exhibition hall in Namwon. The mascot effectively showcased Yancheng's unique wetland culture to the local Korean public.

Yangcheng's traditional Huai Opera showed up at the 96th Chunhyang Festival—one of South Korea's most time-honored traditional celebrations. The delegation presented a vibrant cultural program, opening a window for local audience to experience the city's unique artistic culture.

Parallel to the tour, Yancheng launched the "Living with Wetlands" art contest. In collaboration with four other International Wetland Cities in China and their sister cities in South Korea, the initiative invited youth to submit paintings and photographs documenting wetland biodiversity. By using environmental stewardship as a common language, the project aimed to build lasting friendships among the youth of both nations.