What appears to be a routine consumption statistic holds a deeper meaning. "This reflects not only the remarkable resilience of China's economy but, more importantly, demonstrates how China has injected strong stability into global development amid worldwide economic stagnation," Chang said.
The Chinese market has seen a remarkable influx of Southeast Asian fruits under the vibrant China-ASEAN partnership, with the two sides as each other's largest trading partner. This fruitful exchange illustrates the win-win cooperation championed by Hehe Culture.
Hehe is a phrase formed by combining two homophonic Chinese characters, with the first denoting peace and harmony and the second cooperation and unity.
In his address, Chang hailed Hehe Culture as a cornerstone of Chinese civilization, and an ancient philosophy now deeply integrated into China's modern governance.
Hehe wisdom
The Hehe Culture Forum brought together over 150 guests from nearly 20 countries across five continents to explore the global relevance of Hehe Culture.
Zhao Cheng, a senior official from Zhejiang, framed Hehe Culture not as a historical relic but as a momentum for development. He emphasized how the culture's principles of inclusiveness and mutual assistance provide vital guidance for international relations in an increasingly divided world, enabling nations to find common ground while respecting differences.
Today, the promoters of Hehe Culture span the globe. Former UN Under Secretary General Pino Arlacchi, as a Hehe Culture ambassador, expressed his commitment to leveraging Hehe principles to foster international cooperation on peace and sustainable development, noting that this ancient Chinese wisdom offers valuable guidance for human progress.
The contemporary relevance of this ancient wisdom was further emphasized by Li Zhihui, Director of the Overseas Promotion Bureau under the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, who presented Hehe Culture as a timely antidote to zero-sum thinking and a foundation for genuine multilateralism in global governance.
The international dimension of the forum was highlighted by Thun Vathana, Second Vice President of the Senate of Cambodia, who spoke of the deep, centuries-old ties between Cambodia and China. He affirmed that the Hehe principle of "seeking harmony in diversity" offers essential guidance for navigating today's global divisions and building bridges between civilizations.
Former Asian Development Bank Managing Director General Rajat M. Nag was more direct. In his view, the contemporary significance of Hehe Culture lies precisely in its transcendence of either-or binary opposition. This wisdom resonates with the ancient Indian concept of "the world as one family" and the Greek philosophy of cosmopolitanism.
Argentine scholar Martín Unzué, Director of the Gino Germani Institute, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, told Beijing Review, "We must consider how humanity can create a better future for all. We all live in the same house—that is our planet."
Penelope Keenan, Senior Policy Advisor for the Culture Sector at UNESCO, said she appreciated the dynamic beauty of Hehe Culture. "The concept of harmony is fascinating because it's not static. It's living, integrated and dynamic," she told Beijing Review.
Italian sinologist Dario Famularo from Sichuan International Studies University captured the essence of Hehe Culture through the metaphor of white and black horses. "White horses and black horses are both horses first—color differences shouldn't obscure their fundamental commonality," he said.
Nepal-China Social Relations Academy Chairman Balmukunda Regmi further explained: "Hehe Culture doesn't seek to eliminate all differences but pursues unity in diversity. The world contains numerous things, cultures and activities, but ultimately they can point toward the same goal: progressing together, developing together."
Tourists explore Ruyi Bridge in Xianju National Park, Taizhou on October 1 (XINHUA）
Echoes across time
The wisdom of Hehe Culture is deeply rooted in China's intellectual history. Its principles have been drawn from a continuous lineage of thoughts, from Confucius' ideal of "harmony in diversity" to the "integration of heaven and humanity" of Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu. These ideas have been woven into the fabric of Chinese thought and behavior.
A hub of Hehe Culture, Taizhou has been a place of cultural confluence.
Just outside the Guoqing Temple at Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou stands the Hanshi Pavilion, a structure commemorating the monumental friendship between Han Shan, a renowned Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet, and Shi De, an esteemed Buddhist monk. Their deep bond embodied the Hehe ideal of "harmony as the supreme virtue" and they were revered as the incarnation of Hehe Culture, creating a legacy that would resonate through millennia.
Then, during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, tea from Tiantai Mountain began its quiet journey along the Silk Road, subtly inspiring tea traditions in Japan and the Korean Peninsula. This was perhaps one of the earliest chances that Hehe had reached distant shores long before the world spoke of globalization.
Much later, in 1997, the quiet wisdom of this region would find an unexpected voice abroad. American author Charles Frazier opened his celebrated novel Cold Mountain with a line from poet Han: "Men ask the way to Cold Mountain. Cold Mountain: There's no through trail." The line encapsulates the hopeless longing of the novel's hero for a life of happiness. Without naming the philosophy explicitly, the book strikes a profound chord with readers across the ocean, demonstrating the universal appeal of Taizhou's ancient wisdom.
Now, serving as the permanent venue of the five-year-old Hehe Culture Forum, Taizhou continues to promote cultural exchange. As the forum continues to grow, it embodies a continuous practice of pluralism and inclusive development.
Throughout Taizhou's streets and alleys, images of Han Shan and Shi De, the two immortals of harmony, appear everywhere, from ordinary household plates and paper-cuttings to murals and sculptures in public spaces. One immortal holds a lotus flower, the other presents a round box—the lotus (pronounced he in Chinese) and box (also he in Chinese) form a homophone for Hehe, embodying people's simple yearning for harmonious fulfillment.
Today, Hehe Culture has become tangible governance wisdom, developmental momentum and a way of life for Taizhou—the spiritual code to its enduring vitality.
At the forum, Shen Mingquan, Secretary of the CPC Taizhou Committee, detailed how the Hehe gene informs local initiatives in sustainable economics, ecological preservation and community governance, becoming a tangible driver of the city's progress and quality of life.
In the waxberry forests of Xianju County in Taizhou, people can witness this wisdom in practice. The county's ancient waxberry composite planting system was recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 2023 as the world's first globally important agricultural heritage system in the waxberry domain. Xianju has developed a composite model where chickens weed and control pests while their manure enriches the soil; bees pollinate to produce honey while also enhancing the quality of the waxberries. Each species finds its place, forming a virtuous organic cycle.
This not only yields superior ecological products but, more importantly, vividly embodies the ancient wisdom of "harmony between heaven and humanity" in Hehe Culture. Here, humans are not nature's exploiters but its guardians and coordinators, thriving together with all beings.
Today, Taizhou is further promoting Hehe Culture while continuously promoting its integration into daily life, providing an answer to the question of how we should coexist with other in an increasingly divided world.
