On 15 September 2018, the China Open House Day was held at the Chinese Mission with the participation of about 800 people from all walks of life.

Ambassador Zhang Ming, together with his wife, extended a warm welcome to all guests. In his remarks, Ambassador Zhang said that a lot has changed in China over the past 40 years. Through an event like this, people could see an open, friendly, fast-changing and diverse China with a great culture. Ambassador Zhang invited the guests to go to China themselves and see more of this country, as the China-EU Tourism Year is being celebrated. He said that China and the EU could set an example of cooperation and friendship despite linguistic and cultural differences.

The event was full of elements and symbols typical of China, like giant panda costumes, lion dance, Qigong performance, mooncake and dumpling making, face painting, etc. Female diplomats from the Chinese Mission presented a Tibetan folk dance to kick off the show, followed by a traditional Chinese fan dance by students of the EU School, recitation of the Three Character Classic by children of Chinese diplomats, acrobatics and face-changing performances by artists of Chinese descent. The famous Belgium athletes, the Saive Brothers, excited the audiences with an expo table tennis match. The event also featured AI and VR demonstration and a photo expo on the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up.

Guests spoke highly of the event, saying that it allowed them to gain a better understanding of China. Mr. Eric Philippart, Special Counselor of the China-EU Tourism Year, said that the event is widely welcomed and is a good opportunity for China-EU people-to-people exchanges. A Belgian Qigong performer said that a growing number of Europeans are showing interest in Chinese history and culture. European and Chinese kids had great fun playing the seven-piece puzzle and quiz games.