London's Lady Mayor's Show boosts UK-China ties

It's one of London's oldest and best-known street parades.

For over 800 years the Lord Mayor's Show has taken place to mark the inauguration of the city's new Lord Mayor.

This year it's been renamed The Lady Mayor's Show following the election of Dame Susan Langley, who becomes the 697th Lord or Lady Mayor of London - a largely ceremonial position.

Although Dame Susan Langley is the third woman to hold the post, it's the first time the event has been renamed to reflect her title.

To mark this milestone, this year's show has a very strong female focus, with seven themed floats celebrating the contribution of women to the City of London.

One of the floats was designed by the Zhejiang UK Association which seeks to promote closer ties between China and the UK. 2025 marks the 7th year they've taken part.

Shanshan Qian works for the Zhejiang UK Association and she told CGTN Europe it was a great honor to be involved with the event again.

"It's our seventh (Lord Mayor Show) and our main objective is to bring the cultures together and connect the communication between our two countries," se said.

Dora Zhao also works for the association and she said: "For us, it's a platform to show Chinese culture and the arts and we're really glad to be here."

Since the first Lord Mayor's Show over 800 years ago, London has become one of the biggest and most culturally diverse cities in the world.

The Lady Mayor's show really showcases this, with different communities from a range of backgrounds coming together to celebrate that diversity. It's a message that's never been more important.