The Mayor of Ruse Municipality, Pencho Milkov, today welcomed a 10-member delegation from the Chinese city of Yichun, headed by Deputy Mayor Fang Yanru, representatives of various municipal directorates and sports experts. The visit is in connection with Ruse's hosting of the Dragon Boat World Championship in 2025 and the desire of the two municipalities to deepen their relations in various spheres of activity.

"The championship will be a continuation of the cultural and sports ties that Ruse has with the Chinese community. This is another opportunity not only for children and young people, but also for all citizens. I'm glad that this idea of ours is growing into a friendship that we can develop over time", shared the mayor and emphasized his gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria for the assistance in establishing relations between the two municipalities.

The guests shared their satisfaction from the visit to Vasil Levski University, where they met with students studying Chinese culture and language. Today they will also meet the graduates of the "Kalagia" Wushu Sports Club at the Municipal Youth Center and will explore the area of the Lipnik Forest Park and the dam, where the world championship will be held in 2 years.

"Our city is located 10 thousand kilometers from Ruse, but somehow, through the river and the boats, we feel very connected to this place," Fang Yanru emphasized.

Mayor Pencho Milkov noted that dragon boating provides a unique chance for sport, recreation and fun for families, groups of friends and colleagues outdoors. The boats are 12 meters long and accommodate 22 people - 20 of them are rowers, one is the guide in front, and the helmsman is in the back.

The guests emphasized that regular preparation is necessary for participation in the competition. They presented the mayor of Rousse with a textbook on dragon boats, which will be translated from Chinese and used in the preparation of the event in the coming months. At the end of the meeting, a declaration of intent to establish friendly relations between Ruse and Ichun was signed.

In order to gain experience, representatives of the local administration took part in the first Dragon Boat Festival for Bulgaria on the lake in Pancharevo, organized by the Chinese Cultural Center on June 24 and 25.