At the invitation of the Sri Lanka–China Buddhist Friendship Association, a Buddhist delegation from Guangdong Province, China, visited Sri Lanka and carried out Buddhist cultural exchange from June 22 to 25, 2025.
The following is the text of the statement issued by the organizers: “This delegation was led by Zhang Ke, Director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission of Guangdong Province and President of the Guangdong Religious and Cultural Exchange Association and Venerable Master Mingsheng, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China and President of the Buddhist Association of Guangdong Province.
The visit achieved fruitful results. The delegation visited the Sri Lankan Ministry of Buddhasasana, the Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs, and the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka. In-depth discussions were held regarding the preparation for establishing the “Faxian International Cultural Exchange Center” by the Buddhist community of Guangdong in Sri Lanka.
On June 23, a charity event themed “Continuing the Silk Road, Walking with Faxian” was held in North Colombo Hospital, Ragama. Attendees included Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong; Secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe; and Director of the Colombo North Center for Liver Diseases (CNCLD), Sampath Liyanage Ranawera. During the event, the Buddhist community of Guangdong donated a brand-new ambulance to CNCLD for organ transportation. Simultaneously, the “Visible Smiles” cataract restoration project was launched. Jointly organized by the Guangdong Buddhist community, the Chen Shaochang Charity Foundation of Guangdong Province, Guangxiao Temple, Nanhua Temple, Yunmen Temple, and Sri Lanka’s health authorities, the project will provide free surgery for 250 cataract patients in rural areas of Sri Lanka.
The delegation also visited “Kindness Village – Kenda Village,” a community assisted by the Hambantota International Port Group, where they donated daily necessities to benefit nearly 600 households. These pragmatic efforts carried forward the thousand-year Buddhist connection and tangibly improved local livelihoods. On June 24, the delegation also visited Yatagala Temple.