CHANGZHOU, China, June 16, 2025 — The “An Encounter with Chinese Culture: Jiangsu Week of the Grand Canal Culture” event, held in Brussels on June 10, leveraged the Grand Canal as a symbol to foster cultural exchange between China and Europe. Changzhou, a historic city along the canal in Jiangnan, showcased its culinary arts, presenting Eastern aesthetics to a European audience.
Jiangnan’s culinary heritage, deeply rooted in life along the Grand Canal, was highlighted through intricate radish carvings, dough sculptures depicting Chinese mythology, and traditional sugar-blowing crafts forming auspicious symbols. A simple dish of stir-fried rice with dried radish became a focal point, while the “Four Seasons Lion’s Head” dish, incorporating seasonal ingredients, showcased a philosophy of harmony with nature. According to Liu Yuchun, a Chinese Culinary Master and Executive Dean of the Jiangnan Culinary Research Institute, each dish is a product of the canal’s influence and skilled craftsmanship.
Beyond cuisine, the Grand Canal embodies Eastern wisdom. Zhu Jun, a fifth-generation inheritor of the Lanling Cheng-style Tui Na, demonstrated the “Expanding Finger Kneading Method” and the “Soaring Dragon Tail Swinging Method,” both considered important medical traditions linked to the canal. Zhu Jun’s demonstration brought this ancient wisdom to life, highlighting the therapeutic benefits of traditional Chinese medicine. Since 2023, the Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has collaborated with Belgium’s Guoyitang Clinic to establish the Menghe School TCM Center.
This cultural exchange marks a new milestone in China-EU relations and supports the continued vitality of the Grand Canal’s ancient traditions.
Source: An Encounter with Chinese Culture: Jiangsu Week of the Grand Canal Culture
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