China's 7th national poem festival to open in Henan

The 7th edition of China's national poem festival will take place in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, from Sept. 21 to 27, according to a news conference of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Thursday.

The upcoming festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China Writers Association, and the Henan Provincial People's Government. It is a manifestation of literature and art serving the implementation of major national strategies such as ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin and promoting the rise of the central region.

The event includes stage performances, poem composition, academic seminars, as well as various activities promoting poetry and fine traditional Chinese culture at local schools, parks, etc.

Several visitation routes are also recommended by tourism administrations for poetry fans interested in pilgrimages to honor ancient poetry masters. For example, among the more than 2200 poets in the "Complete Tang Poems," the largest existing collection of Tang poetry, there are over 350 poets from Henan. Moreover, famous ancient poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, and Su Shi all left their footprints in Henan and composed many poems praising the beauty of ancient Henan.

A national poem festival has been held every three years in China since 2005.

　　Web editor: Li Xiaoshu, Tong Lin