"Sino-African Friendship Enters Shandong -- Shandong-Africa Cultural Carnival" commenced in Jinan under the theme "Harmony of Mountains and Seas, A Shared Tapestry of Beauty." His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho and Queen Masenate attended the opening ceremony. Diplomatic envoys, cultural tourism professionals, and artists from 23 African nations including Somalia and Angola gathered in the City of Springs for a cultural dialogue. As a major regional event marking the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, the carnival was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shandong Provincial People's Government, and co-organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province, and other relevant authorities.

The event also opened to the public the "Great Rivers, Great Lands" Shandong-Africa Art Dialogue Exhibition and the Shandong-Africa Treasures Bazaar. The exhibits featured Shandong's intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, traditional African crafts, ecological photography from both regions, and collaborative artworks produced by young creators from China and Africa. Artisans from both sides delivered live demonstrations, showcasing the distinct identities and shared creative spirit of the two civilizations. At the bazaar, Egyptian papyrus paintings, Mauritian handwoven creations, and Shandong's Fuli earthenware were displayed side by side. Visitors could try on African attire and engage in hands-on intangible heritage workshops, while many local residents held face-to-face exchanges with African creators.

During the opening ceremony, ten Shandong-Africa cultural cooperation projects were officially unveiled, covering practical fields such as museums, cultural tourism, and archaeology.

During the event, African guests will also visit Weifang and Yantai to explore intangible cultural heritage and coastal cultural tourism resources. The organizers noted that the carnival leverages culture as a bond to deepen mutual understanding between peoples, opening tangible, implementable new pathways for sub-national cooperation between China and Africa.