Feel China during Int'l Youth Cultural Exchange Week
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 24, 2019
A major Chinese event to showcase China's diverse cultures for appreciation by the outside world was launched in Beijing on Friday.
"Feel China in a Diverse and Harmonious World：International Youth Cultural Exchange Week" is organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Science and Culture Center for Young People and China Everbright Bank, and sponsored by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and China Everbright Group, with support of the China Public Diplomacy Association.
Ambassadors and representatives from nearly 40 countries, such as Russia, India, the United States, Brazil, New Zealand, as well as several international organizations attended the launch ceremony. Among the attendees, notable figures included Wang Jiarui, president of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Zhu Hongbo, who chairs the board of supervisors of China Everbright Group, as well as Ahcène Boukhelfa, Algerian ambassador to China, Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to China, Raja Dato' Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, Malaysian ambassador, and Dhia Khaled, Tunisian ambassador.
Starting from Dec. 1 this year, youngsters from a specific country will be invited to the China Soong Ching Ling Science and Culture Center for Young People every two weeks to experience both the best of China’s traditional cultures but also cultural highlights of various countries.
The event will include multicultural exchanges to promote the idea of learning from one another's diverse cultures, achieve great heart-to-heart connections, enhance mutual respect, and strive for harmonious coexistence, the organizers said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jing Dunquan, vice president of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, hoped that through the culture week event a platform would be established for exchanges and communications among young people of many different countries, so that the young generation would be able to uphold the spirit of equality and respect, open mindedness and tolerance to learn from each other.
"Let's plant seeds of peace, cooperation and common development, then we can know each other better and have greater connections," he said.
UAE ambassador Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri called the event "an excellent platform" providing an opportunity not only for youngsters to achieve mutual familiarity and to get to know about their respective countries, but also for people and the Chinese leadership to take care of such a heritage of culture.
"We are facing much modernization in our lives, especially for the young, so we need to make an extra effort to keep this heritage alive, increasee investments and make full use of science and technology, which will be more exciting for our youngsters," he said to China.org.cn.
The ambassador added that the UAE has the biggest Chinese population in the Middle East, and people are celebrating many activities of Chinese culture such as Spring Festival. He believed the current era was a very good historical time during which people of China and the UAE could build a closer relationship as both sides are friendly and willing to engage in more cooperation and communications in politics, business and culture.
Algerian ambassador Ahcène Boukhelfa also highlighted the achievements of China's development attracting worldwide attention, saying: "'China's speed' has awed the world, and China's profound cultural wisdom is also very attractive. The unique cultures of all countries in the world need to develop and progress together in constant dialogue and communications."
He continued, "Young people are the inheritors and communicators of culture. They set up cultural exchange bridges to the future and among civilizations of all countries in the world. The International Youth Cultural Exchange Week provides a great platform and presents a wonderful cultural feast for them."
At the launch ceremony, Chinese artists put on a dazzling gala full of performances blending traditional Chinese elements and modern and international popular culture.
Ambassadors and representatives of foreign students participated in many exhibitions and demonstrations to experience traditional Chinese culture and intangible cultural heritages, such as Oracle bookmark, traditional stationery, Peking Opera, printing and dyeing, ancient music, porcelain and tea.
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