- Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi visited Xiamen’s Gulangyu Island and toured a museum and exhibition center in Dongguan
September 12, 2024, Dongguan, Guangdong, China: His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, toured several sites of cultural and historical significance during a six-day visit to China, stating that “history and culture are paramount to understanding not only the past but the people of a nation and the trajectory of its future”.
During the first stop of HH Sheikh Saud’s visit, in Xiamen, Fujian Province, where he delivered a keynote address at the opening of the 24th China International Fair for Investment & Trade, he visited the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site of Gulangyu, renowned for being a place of residence for Westerners during Xiamen’s colonial past and for being the site of China’s only piano museum.
Later, HH Sheikh Saud visited the city of Dongguan, in Guangdong Province, where he explored its history, culture and economy at Dongguan Exhibition Center, before embarking on a tour of the city’s Agarwood Museum. Agarwood, which is commonly known as oud, are the trees that produce oud products such as incense and perfume and have been grown and cultivated by the people of Dongguan for centuries.
HH Sheikh Saud said of China: “Though our present economic ties have flourished for decades, the threads of our connection stretch back centuries, as evidenced by the treasures of the Yuan Dynasty of the 13th and 14th centuries, unearthed in Ras Al Khaimah by our archaeologists. These rare blue and white porcelain fragments allude to tales of a shared history along the old Silk Road that transcend time. This enduring bond, forged by our ancestors, stands as a testament to the lasting strength of our peoples. As we look toward the future, may we continue to weave a richer tapestry of cultural exchange, political harmony and ever-more prosperous economic ties.”
