Why Liverpool landmarks are lighting up blue as part of a global celebration

Some of Liverpool’s most famous landmark buildings are lighting up blue this week as part of a global ‘Light up the World’ event.

Royal Liver Building, St George’s Hall, Town Hall, Cunard Building and the Victoria Gallery & Museum will be illuminated until Thursday (May 21), alongside other iconic buildings across the world including the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York’s Times Square.

The signature blue light display marks the 20^th anniversary of XJTLU – a partnership between Xi’an Jiaotong University in China and University of Liverpool.

A wider worldwide celebration of collaboration and innovation will also see the Shaanxi Information Mansion skyscraper in the city of in Xi’an, the campus at XJTLU in Suzhou, China and the Gate to the East, a famous landmark in Suzhou illuminated.

The University of Liverpool’s partnership with China, founded in 2006, was one of the first and it’s now recognised as one of the most successful.

A spokesperson for the university says the connection has been important, not only in offering opportunities for students but by boosting the city’s economy and reinforcing its links with China which date back over a century.

They said:

“XJTLU has become one of China’s most respected international universities. Opening in 2006 with just 164 students, it has grown to a population of almost 26,000.

“XJTLU boasts a long-standing and successful ‘2+2 programme’, giving students the opportunity to transfer to the University of Liverpool to complete the final two years of their degree. This is a clear example of how the partnership has delivered tangible benefits for the wider city.

“A very significant proportion of our international student body is from XJTLU, and a recent report showed that total international student spend in the city for the 2022/23 alone totalled £108m.

“Beyond economic value, the partnership has played a key role in enhancing Liverpool’s cultural vibrancy and global character. Liverpool has the oldest established Chinese community in Europe, created through historic trade links between China and Britain via the ports of Shanghai and Liverpool.

“The first Chinese students came to study at the University in the 1920s, marking the beginning of a long-standing educational connection. Over the last 20 years we have welcomed over 17,000 2+2 students to study here in Liverpool, strengthening these important ties and Liverpool’s reputation as a welcoming, international destination.”

The two-decade partnership was recognised earlier this year when XJTLU was granted the Freedom of the City – the highest civic honour – in recognition of its work.

Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool says:

“We are incredibly proud of all that Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has achieved over the last 20 years.

“The success of XJTLU has brought significant economic and cultural gains to the Liverpool City Region, both through the students we welcome here each year and through the connections fostered with Suzhou and the wider region.

“I am delighted that these iconic buildings across our city will be illuminated in celebration of this milestone year.”In addition to the Light Up the World building illuminations, a delegation from the University of Liverpool is travelling to China this week, where it will present XJTLU with a bronze sculpture of a Liver Bird created by Shanghai-based artist Ye Qing, representing East and West, past, present, and future.