Linzi district, Zibo, Shandong and the city of Gwangju in South Korea recently launch a series of cultural exchange activities. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Linzi district, Zibo, Shandong and the city of Gwangju in South Korea recently launched a series of cultural exchange activities, providing South Korean guests with an up-close experience of the commercial and ethnic cultural customs of the ancient capital of Qi.

At the Zhegu Theater in Zhutai Town, the delegation enjoyed a performance of the classic Zhegu Opera. Zhegu Opera was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item by the State Council in 2011. It is known for its use of a trailing tone resembling the call of a Zhegu (Chinese francolin) bird in every vocal phrase, creating a melodious and unique vocal style that, along with the costumes, facial makeup, history, left a deep impression on the South Korean visitors.

The delegation also paid a visit to the Jiang Taigong Temple in Zibo, which is a unique tourist attraction with distinct Qi cultural characteristics. Jiang was a renowned statesman, military strategist, and politician in Chinese history. He was the first feudal lord of the Qi state during the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC).

The final stop of the event was an intelligent equipment company in Zibo, where the two parties engaged in corporate and cultural exchanges. The Korean guests toured the company's intelligent robot production workshop and negotiated further cooperation with company representatives.

A member of the delegation spoke highly of Linzi's rich cultural deposits and distinctive folk customs. He said that he will bring the ancient culture and local customs back to South Korea to strengthen cultural exchanges between the two countries.