A San Francisco delegation, led by Mayor Daniel Lurie, started a two-day visit of Shanghai on Sunday to bolster cultural and tourism cooperation between the two cities.

The visit marked a significant step in deepening the longstanding friendship and collaboration that have flourished between Shanghai and San Francisco over the past 46 years.

The delegation began its tour at the 146-year-old Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, where members learned about the evolution of China's symphonic music.

They then visited the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Shanghai Natural History Museum — a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum — and the Shanghai Grand Opera House.

During these visits, three memorandums of understanding were signed: between the SCM and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; between the SSTM and the California Academy of Sciences; and between the Shanghai Opera House and the San Francisco Opera.

"Our cities share a partnership that is nearly five decades strong. It is a dialogue that has never stopped," Lurie said. "We are building on that foundation and investing in a future where science, education and sustainability remain at the center of our partnership."

David Stull, president of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, said the two cities are united by a shared forward-looking spirit.

"When people are excited about new ideas, they gravitate to others who are excited about new ideas. San Francisco and Shanghai have always shared that spirit of imagination, innovation and the spirit of the future," he said.

In a vibrant celebration of the Shanghai-San Francisco partnership, the delegation also joined a dual-city tourism promotion event at Xintiandi in Huangpu district.

Launched by the United Airlines and San Francisco International Airport, the initiative aims to boost tourism by showcasing the distinctive attractions and cultural experiences in both cities.

"If you look at the numbers in 2025, we had 700,000 passengers travel between China and San Francisco — that's 23 weekly flights to four destinations in China. So it's a very important market for us," said Mike Nakornkhet, director of San Francisco International Airport. "We really see China as a growing market for us. There's a lot of leisure and business travel demand."

The day concluded with an evening cruise along the Huangpu River, where the delegation attended a reception commemorating the 46th anniversary of the Shanghai-San Francisco friendship city relationship.

The delegation will continue their visit to Shanghai on Monday.

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.