Cities drawn together by romantic fate

HANGZHOU/ROME — The sisterly bond between the Chinese city of Hangzhou and the Italian city of Verona originates from their shared connection to famous love stories celebrated worldwide.

The tragic romances of the Chinese Butterfly Lovers and Italy's Romeo and Juliet share similar human sensibilities, despite differences in time and culture. Interestingly, a new romance today, related to both cities, tells a different story about not only love but also transcultural exchanges.

A young couple — Italian Leonardo Lazzari, who practices Chinese martial arts, and Chinese Wu Yingying, who is training to be a soprano — exemplify this cultural connection.

The two began living and working in Hangzhou in 2024, four years after they met at a student exchange event in Italy.

After that encounter, what began as a casual connection soon grew into a friendship, and Wu's account of her earlier life experiences and other stories sparked in Lazzari a growing fascination with Chinese culture, beyond his accustomed kung fu routine.

Today, both reside in Hangzhou, not far from Wu's hometown of Wenzhou, where they pursue their respective studies and careers. But an important part of their new life is the shared identity as content creators. They use a camera to capture happy moments of everyday life, drawing a large number of viewers from China and beyond.

Lazzari's journey to China began in his childhood, when he trained under a Chinese-Italian master in long fist forms and broadsword techniques. At the age of 13, he attended an intensive martial arts training camp in Zhejiang.

Wu has long had her heart set on becoming a soprano. In 2017, she participated in Italy's Turandot program for international arts students, in the preparatory stage of her musical studies in Italy.

"To us, Hangzhou and Verona, two cities of love, share a resonance across cultures while each radiates its own aesthetic charm," Wu says. Reflecting on how their lives intertwined, the couple uncovered more links between their homelands.

On their social media accounts, East meets West with effortless grace. Scenes with traditional Chinese elegance sit side by side with a slow, Italian warmth. But their videos capture more: a modern, fast-moving, tech-savvy China that often surprises their Italian followers.

"Ordering by QR code, mobile coupons, livestream shopping …these are daily routines in China, but they never fail to amaze my friends back home," Lazzari says. "China's technological development is astonishing. We're planning to film more content to show this side of the country to the world."

The story of Lazzari and Wu is more than a love story across continents. It's also a dialogue between two civilizations, but unfolding in real time — one video, one song, or one cup of tea at a time.

From the banks of West Lake in Hangzhou to the balconies of Verona, a bond has been found in the tales of timeless romance. In March 2019, witnessed by the Chinese and Italian heads of state, Hangzhou and Verona signed a city-to-city friendship agreement.

In 2000, Verona was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its historical richness and well-preserved architecture. Hangzhou is home to three world heritage sites: the West Lake, the Grand Canal, and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City.

Both cities have drawn on their long history and wealth of cultural heritage in cultural exchanges. In 2019, Hangzhou launched a Love Bus route to commemorate its connection with Verona, featuring stops at landmarks that highlight the city's culture of love.

Besides storytelling, the two cities are also collaborating to explore ways to preserve cultural heritage in the modern world. By applying new technologies, they aim to better integrate natural landscapes with historical architecture, preserving the past while planning for a sustainable future.

"Both Verona and Hangzhou are committed to promoting sustainable development, an urgent task for both cities," says Maria Moreni, president of the Italy-China Link Association.

"West Lake is magical," Moreni says. "It's at the heart of a vibrant city, with wonderful museums for tea and silk. Here, people can find themselves, build a life, and simply enjoy being alive."

Hangzhou, in The Travels of Marco Polo in the 13th century, was described as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world".

"Marco Polo's story is widely known in China, just as Chinese history and culture have long been admired in Italy," says Salvatore Capasso, the director of the Institute for Studies on Mediterranean Economics at the Italian National Research Council.

"Despite the distance between us, our shared appreciation for history and culture could bind us closely together," says Capasso.

China and Italy, the two countries boasting the most worldwide heritage sites, are well aware of their roles as guardians of ancient civilizations. The exchanges between Hangzhou and Verona serve as an illustration of cooperation, in the spirit highlighted by the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, marked on Tuesday.

Lazzari and Wu's romance is yet another thread woven into the intricate fabric of China-Italy relations. It evokes warmth in people's hearts and reminds them of the longer, greater bonds between the two countries.

Xinhua