Poetry festival opens in Tonglu

Performers are seen in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Tonglu Fuchun River Poetry Festival held in Tonglu county in East China’s Zhejiang province on June 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

The 2022 Tonglu Fuchun River Poetry Festival opened in Tonglu county in East China’s Zhejiang province on June 30, according to local media reports.

The opening ceremony, which was staged in a wine cellar built a tunnel located in Muling village, Jiuxian sub-district, featured performances by modern Chinese poets including Dai Weina, Zhao Ye, Cai Tianxin and Zhu Yu as well as Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award winners Chen Xueping and Wang Qin.

Slated to run until Sept 30, the poetry festival will include a poetry competition, a cultural forum, and an art exhibition. The festival is part of local authorities’ efforts to promote local poetry culture, facilitate cultural and tourism integration and boost rural vitalization.

With its great mix of natural scenery and historic sites, Tonglu county used to be extolled by ancient poets. 

According to historical records, more than 1,900 poets, including Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, and Fan Zhongyan, visited Tonglu and created over 7,000 poems since the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Historically, Tonglu is a stop that dignitaries must pass through when travelling to places like the eastern and middle parts of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Fujian via the Qiantang River, the section of the Fuchun River that passes through the county. Many have lavished praise on the captivating scenery in Tonglu.

Performers are seen in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Tonglu Fuchun River Poetry Festival held in Tonglu county in East China’s Zhejiang province on June 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]