The 3,162nd anniversary of Jiang Taigong's birth was celebrated in Linzi district, Zibo city on Sept 12.

Jiang Taigong was an outstanding politician and military strategist in ancient China. He was also the founder of Qi culture.

Over 1,500 descendants of Jiang Taigong from around the world gathered at Qizu Square to honor this ancient Chinese statesman, military strategist, and tactician.

Over 1,500 descendants of Jiang Taigong from around the world gather at Qizu Square. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The annual celebration has since 2003 seen Jiang's descendants from the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore come together to learn more about their heritage and engage in

cultural exchange.

Other Qi-themed events that are of great interest to overseas Chinese communities are the Shandong International People's Arts Festival and the Qi Culture Expo held on Sept 11.

The opening ceremony of the 14th Qi Culture Expo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Kang Sik-sung, president of the Central Ancestral Hall of the Kang ("Jiang" in Chinese) clan in South Korea, led a group to visit various pavilions at the Expo.

Zibo city has in recent years been focusing on preserving and promoting Qi culture by organizing over 300 cultural exchange events, including art exhibitions and cultural showcases.

Visitors learn about Qi culture at the Qi Culture Expo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]