Damiano Tommasi, mayor of Verona, shows popsicles shaped in Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, characters from the local romantic legend The Butterfly Lovers. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Damiano Tommasi, mayor of the medieval city of Verona in Italy, led a delegation on Sept 6 to Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, to inaugurate the newly opened Hangzhou-Verona Exchange Exhibition Hall and deepen ties between the two "cities of love".

The visit began with a tour of West Lake, the city's landmark, where the delegation learned about Hangzhou's legendary love stories, including The Butterfly Lovers and The Legend of the White Snake.

These tales echo Verona's fame as the setting of Romeo and Juliet, forming a cultural bond between the two cities.

Established near the Wansong Academy — linked to The Butterfly Lovers legend — the 1,000-square-meter exhibition hall highlights milestones of bilateral exchanges since 2019, from the launch of the 1314 Love Bus to joint exhibitions and cultural visits.

The Hangzhou-Verona Exchange Exhibition Hall opens to the public. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

The Verona section of the pavilion showcases the city's World Heritage architecture and literary heritage, while cultural resonance was underscored through a Song-Dynasty (960-1279)-style tea ceremony, where Tommasi painted a heart and the letters "V" and "H" in foam art.

To mark the occasion, the West Lake scenic area presented Tommasi with a seal carved by members of the Xiling Seal Engravers' Society, inscribed with "Enduring as Stone" in Chinese and Italian, symbolizing lasting friendship.

One seal will remain in Verona, with the other displayed in the hall.

Tommasi introduces a landmark in Verona. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

This year marks the 55th anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic relations and the 6th anniversary of Hangzhou-Verona city ties.

Tommasi said Verona also hoped to open a Hangzhou cultural pavilion in Italy to bring the beauty of the Chinese city closer to Italian audiences.

Mayor Tommasi paints a heart in foam art. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Tommasi is gifted a seal from the Xiling Seal Engravers' Society. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]