Sino-Japanese friendship on display among cherry blossoms in Yuantouzhu, Wuxi

Yutaka Shibata-san, current chairman of the Cherry Plantation Association, shares one of the association's journals and explains how the association has endeavored to improve communications between China and Japan for the past 30 years. Standing next to him is his wife Kiyoko Shibata-san. [Photo by Du Xiaojun/chinadaily.com.cn]

A cherry blossom festival was held on March 28 at Yuantouzhu Park, situated along Taihu Lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Chinese and Japanese people came together to celebrate China and Japan's long friendship.

Yuantouzhu Park holds historical significance because a group of Japanese volunteers came to the park in 1988 and have been planting cherry blossoms there ever since. As of today, the Japanese have donated more than 15,000 saplings to the scenic spot.

Yutaka Shibata-san, current chairman of the Cherry Plantation Association, came to the festival with his wife Kiyoko Shibata-san to plant cherry blossom trees. They have been coming to Yuantouzhu Park to plant trees every year for 30 years.

Shibata-san said that the founder of the association, Hasegawa-san, witnessed the Second World War. At the beginning of the war, he arranged for people to come to China to plant cherry blossoms, with the hope that the cherry blossom would unite China and Japan, create an understanding between them, and prevent future wars between the two countries.

The chairman went on to say that every time he has come to China, he has been warmly welcomed by the local government and citizens, and that the event is a great opportunity for the Japanese and Chinese to communicate with each other. Various activities are offered to create a mutual understanding between the two countries. For example, young Chinese students have been invited to visit Japan to gain a deeper understanding of the country.

The chairman said that in order to maintain the Sino-Japanese friendship, the association has also published journals and held various exhibitions depicting stories about China and Japan. He hopes that the peaceful relationship between the two countries will continue.