PR98837

MEISHAN, China, Nov. 16, 2022 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

From November 17 to 20, the 12th Dongpo Cultural Festival will be held in

Meishan, Sichuan Province, southwest China. This cultural festival is jointly

sponsored by Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Meishan

Municipal People's Government, and the Chinese Academy of Aesthetics, aiming to

prosper Dongpo's cultural industry, promote exchange and mutual learning of

Dongpo culture, and make it go global.

Su Dongpo, a famous litterateur in Chinese history, was born in Meizhou in

1037, where now Meishan City. He was a great person who made contributions to

world culture and made outstanding achievements in literature, calligraphy,

painting, medicine and food. In the year of 2000, Le Monde of France selected

12 "Millennium Heroes" (1001-2000) in the world, and he was the only Chinese

selected.

Many Chinese delicacies are named after his name, such as Dongpo Elbow, Dongpo

Fish, Dongpo Meat, Dongpo Pickles, etc. In 1058, at the age of 21, Su Dongpo

set out from his hometown Meizhou and traveled all over China. Meishan, the

beautiful and rich hometown, gave Su Dongpo a good taste gene, so that he

looked for local specialties during his travels and made delicious food

himself.

But what really made Su Dongpo famous in the world was his poetry. Su Dongpo's

poems are permeated with the essence of Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism and

Taoism culture in the bold and unconstrained way. Over the past thousand years,

he has accumulated countless fans around the world, deeply affected the spirit

of Chinese people for generations, and more profoundly shaped his hometown

Meishan.

Today, Dongpo culture has been integrated into every corner of the city.

Meishan people are fond of reading and cooking and have accumulated thousands

of years of humanistic flavor and "Dongpo flavor" from generation to

generation. The interesting Dongpo stories can especially stimulate the

interest of teenagers. The Legend of Young Su Dongpo, which is broadcast this

year, has restored the style and features of Meizhou in the Northern Song

Dynasty by means of animation, showing the lovely image of young Su Dongpo

growing up in Meizhou.

In August 2022, Meishan City proposed to build Dongpo Culture Inheritance and

Development Center, and to build a global highland of Su studies, an excellent

traditional culture and education base, and a humanistic tourism resort, and

identified November as the "Dongpo Culture Month" of Meishan City. Since

November 1, colorful cultural and tourism activities have been carried out. In

addition to the special exhibition of "Three Su" themed cultural relics and

large-scale poetry, music and dance performances, Meishan, together with 17

other Dongpo ruins cities, Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle,

Chengdu-Deyang-Meishan-Ziyang Development Economic Circle and other sister

cities in China, launched a series of activities, such as 10,000 People

Chanting Dongpo, cultural experience and refined tour. Dongpo Cultural Festival

is the highlight of Dongpo Culture Month.

"Dongpo" is a calling card Meishan handing to the world, and also embellishes

the historical chapter of world culture. The millennium inheritance of Dongpo

culture also gives Meishan people confidence to make Meishan become a national

historical and cultural city, which will be another national city card of

Meishan besides a national forest city, a national civilized city and a

national health city.

Source: Meishan Municipal People's Government