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A series of activities marking the Tang Poem Road of East Zhejiang was initiated in Shengzhou, a county-level city of Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province, on Dec 13. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

A series of activities marking the Tang Poem Road of East Zhejiang was initiated in Shengzhou, a county-level city under the administration of Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province, on Dec 13.

The ancient road starts in Xixing and follows the East Zhejiang Canal and Cao'e River in Shaoxing, passing through Shengzhou, the birthplace of Yueju opera, and Xinchang county, Shaoxing. It ends in Tiantai county where the Buddhist Tiantai sect originated.

The road links the most interesting historical and cultural attractions in East Zhejiang and is the birthplace of over 1,500 poems from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), which is often considered the golden age of Chinese poems.

Cartoon icons are released at the opening ceremony of the activity series marking the Tang Poem Road of East Zhejiang. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

At the opening ceremony, organizers released the cartoon icons of calligrapher Wang Xizhi and wilderness poet Xie Lingyun, both famous figures in ancient China, and other cultural products themed around poems.

It was announced that a research institute delving into the road will be be established, aiming to map out the road's development path.

Following the opening ceremony, an annual conference drawing over 20 experts from across the country convened to discuss ways of developing the poem road.