Quanzhou.jpg (Photo : China Daily)
The Quanzhou Maritime Silk Road Art Festival (Culture City of East Asia 2014-Quanzhou Carnival) opened Wednesday, Nov. 26, with the Fujian Culture Bureau and the Quanzhou municipal government serving as co-hosts.
A joint project of China's Ministry of Culture and the Fujian provincial government, the cultural event aims to build Quanzhou into a multicultural metropolis and a pioneer city in the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road strategy, according to China Daily.
Distinguished guests for the opening ceremony included Lin Wenqi, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee; Ding Wei, vice minister of the Ministry of Culture; and Li Hong, vice governor of Fujian Province. Also in attendance during the opening were diplomats from various countries who by now are on a tour of Quanzhou to explore the city's historically rich culture.
Quanzhou has been renowned as the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, having been China's greatest seaport city since the time of the Song Dynasty. It was also a cultural melting pot where people of all races met to trade and interact.
Aside from its rich maritime history, it is also a repository of a wide range of historical and cultural relics, as attested by the fact that "Quanzhou is among the first batch of 24 famous historic and cultural cities promulgated by the State Council," according to the China Daily report.
Also, along with South Korea's Gwangju and Japan's Yokohama, Quanzhou was designated as an "East Asia City of Culture" in 2013. Tourists visiting Fujian Province are regularly drawn to make a stop at Quanzhou whenever they can.
Quanzhou's Maritime Silk Road-themed art festival, which will run until Dec. 5, will be featuring an assortment of cultural activities. Aside from the now-underway cultural discovery tour of the city for the diplomats from various countries, there will also be an academic seminar on the strategy of building the 21st Century Silk Road, which will also showcase a series of cultural relic exhibitions.
The art festival will also feature lighting shows, calligraphy exhibitions and debate competitions.
