Cultural exchange and mutual learning constitute the core orientation of cultural development in the new era. Excellent traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual lifeline of the Chinese nation. As an important carrier of cross-cultural communication, primary school English education undertakes the vital mission of cultivating students’ cultural confidence and international vision. Guided by the 2025 edition of the English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education, this paper, from the perspective of cultural exchange and mutual learning, explores the significance of integrating excellent traditional Chinese culture into primary school English education. Combined with the reality of primary school English teaching and students’ cognitive characteristics, it puts forward targeted integration strategies to solve problems such as fragmented content and monotonous methods in the current integration process. The research aims to realize the organic combination of language teaching and cultural inheritance, help students improve cross-cultural communication ability, strengthen cultural confidence, promote the international communication of excellent traditional Chinese culture, and facilitate the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations.