Threads of heritage

Madame Cai has many successors to carry on her craft, as embroidered red dresses have become a signature traditional craft of Meihua.

These ornate dresses are made from high-quality red silk and the colorful embroidery threads are made from pure silk. They feature auspicious patterns such as peonies and phoenixes, to symbolize celebration.

The embroidered red dress of Meihua town was listed in the sixth batch of municipal-level intangible cultural heritage in Fuzhou city in 2021.

"Aside from the worship of her, the embroidery techniques taught by Cai have become a true testament to the people-to-people friendship between the two regions," said Lai, the professor.

Another cultural item testifying to the exchanges between Fujian and Ryukyu is the sanshin, a three-stringed musical instrument beloved by the Okinawan people. The instrument has its origins in China's three-stringed sanxian, which was introduced from Fuzhou.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao has mentioned that Okinawan friends have told him the prefecture's folk customs, dietary habits, cultural arts, architectural styles, and many other aspects, are very similar to those of China, particularly those of Fujian.

"Many words in the local dialect are pronounced exactly the same as in the Minnan dialect (in southern Fujian), and long-standing traditions such as celebrating the traditional New Year, the Tomb Sweeping Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival are still preserved today," Wu said in a speech in Okinawa in 2023.

Satoru Chinen, mayor of Okinawa's Naha city, noted that Fuzhou and Naha have long thrived as hubs of exchange between China and the Ryukyu Kingdom. They established a sister-city relationship in 1981, and have engaged in "extensive exchanges in areas such as culture, sports, academia, education and the economy".

"We sincerely hope that the culture museum in Meihua will continue to be cherished by both cities as a symbol of their friendship, and flourish for generations to come," he wrote in a congratulatory message in October for the opening of the museum.

"We are truly delighted that Fuzhou, though far from Naha, has facilities where its residents can learn about the historical exchanges between the Ryukyu Kingdom and Fuzhou, offering them an opportunity to better understand Okinawa and Naha," the mayor said.

In 2023, the Asian Games were held in Zhejiang province's Hangzhou, and the Chinese karate team trained for the competition in Okinawa before the event.

In November last year, Nobutoshi Higoshi, president of the Okinawa Basketball Association, brought the Okinawa Youth Basketball Team to Fuzhou to participate in the Fujian-Okinawa "Sister City Cup" basketball tournament.

It was his second visit to Fuzhou. Thirty years earlier, he went to Fuzhou as a tourist.

"Now Fuzhou is full of high-rise buildings, and the pace of development is simply stunning," he said.

Fujian province and Okinawa prefecture established friendly relations in 1997, and marked 28 years of partnership this year.

Yet, the November visit was the first time the two sides had engaged in basketball exchanges.