The 1,000th China-Europe freight train to set off from Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in 2023 leaves Xi'an International Port on March 23, 2023. Photo: VCG

The Chang'an China-Europe freight train, a "culture class" freight line, recently departed from the Xi'an Railway Container Center to travel to its destination, the North Kazakhstan Region in Kazakhstan. 

The cultural cargo included products made with China's intangible cultural heritage techniques such as paper-cutting handicrafts, hand-painted silk scarves and folk straw paintings. 

These handicraft products will be delivered to locals, especially women and children, in Kazakhstan. In addition to these products, paintings and letters written by children in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, will also be delivered to children in ­Kazakhstan. 

"This arrangement will provide a new platform for women and children in countries along the Belt and Road routes to exchange ideas, share feelings and strengthen cooperation, so as to jointly create a better future for women and children," Xue Linli, president of the Xi'an Women's Federation, told the Global Times. 

Kazakhstan was one of the first group of countries to join the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Such unique cultural goods highlight the China-European freight train's "special cultural nature" compared to ordinary cargo, Wang Su, a BRI expert, told the Global Times.

Wang said that different routes can receive this special culture class designation to enhance "people-to-people communications" between China and other BRI countries. 

Some Kazakh students living in China witnessed the train's departure. 

A Kazakh student studying at Xi'an Shiyou University, known by her Chinese name Xiaoyun, told the Global Times that these handicraft products made her feel the "warmth of China" and that she feels Xi'an has become her second home. 

"China-Europe freight trains have continuously helped make the 'Chinese miracle' a reality," Xiaoyun noted. 

To expand the reach of these cultural handicrafts, the Xi'an Women's Federation plans to further collaborate with Kazakhstan women to establish programs that can capitalize on the economic value of handicrafts in both countries. 

"China-Europe freight trains have continuously helped make the 'Chinese miracle' a reality," Xiaoyun noted.