Chongqing - On March 27, the Commemorative Ceremony for the 178th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849, along with the 2026 Western China Hungarian Cultural Festival · Spring of Budapest Spring, was inaugurated at Eling Park, beside the sculpture of Hungary’s national poet Sándor Petőfi and Júlia Szendrey.
The Commemorative Ceremony for the 178th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849, along with the 2026 Western China Hungarian Cultural Festival · Spring of Budapest Spring (photo / the Organization)
When delivering the speech, Bálint Czégel, Consul General of Hungary in Chongqing, reviewed the historical significance of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849, using the sculpture of the Petőfi couple at Eling Park as an emotional bond to highlight the profound and long-standing friendship between Hungary and China.
At the event, Hanna Taylor, Coordinator to the China-CEE Tourism Coordination Center of the Hungarian Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, also delivered a thematic presentation on China-Hungary tourism, offering in-depth introductions to the distinctive tourism resources and cooperation opportunities of both sides.
As a Chinese city that hosted this event, Chongqing and Hungary have also witnessed frequent friendly exchanges and fruitful cooperation across multiple fields, including mutual visits, trade and logistics, technological innovation, and people-to-people exchanges. For instance, the bilateral import and export volume between the two places reached RMB 1.34 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 23.3%. The Chongqing-Budapest full-timetable China-Europe Railway Express was officially launched at the end of 2025, cutting the transit time by over 30% and making trade between the two places more convenient and efficient.
A senior couple in their golden wedding from Yuzhong District sitting on the artistic wooden love bench (photo/ Xuelin Mu)
The 2026 "Love at Eling · Travel along Danube River" Love-Themed Cultural Tourism Promotion Activity was also officially launched, and the artistic wooden love bench beside the Petőfi couple's sculpture was unveiled. This piece, crafted by a local Chongqing artist, integrates elements of Chinese and Hungarian culture along with symbols of marriage customs, symbolizing the hope of witnessing more happy couples in love. At the event, a senior couple in their golden wedding from Yuzhong District, a Hungarian artist couple, as well as the family of the Consul General of Hungary in Chongqing, were invited to sit on the special wooden bench for a commemorative photo, conveying the essence of love that transcends borders and time.
The event also featured a Hungarian food tasting area, showcasing authentic Hungarian goulash, aromatic wines, and other specialties. Guests immersed themselves in Hungarian culture through these culinary.
As a significant international cultural exchange event in Western China, the 2026 Western China Hungarian Cultural Festival · Spring of Budapest Spring will continue to deepen practical cooperation between Chongqing and Hungary, as well as Central and Eastern European countries, through diverse forms such as cultural performances, tourism promotion, and economic and trade exchanges. It aims to inject new momentum into China-Hungary friendly cooperation and support the deepening development of the China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era.