Culture

China-Themed Fireworks Festival in Brussels

The night sky in Brussels lit up with dazzling colors as fireworks shot up from its landmark MiniEurope park on August 4. A China-themed fireworks festival heralded the 2018 China-European Union （EU） Tourism Year campaign.

The China-EU Summit in July 2016 decided to observe 2018 as China-EU Tourism Year， and as part of the planned activities， Mini-Europe hosted a dazzling show for three consecutive Saturdays from August 4 to 18.

The park was festooned with Chinese lanterns bearing images from Sichuan Opera， a traditional opera that originated in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province famous for its pandas and spicy cuisine. The traditional lanterns in the European landmark synthesized two cultures， creating a festive atmosphere.

Besides the fireworks， amateur Chinese dancers residing in Belgium put on a dance show and a display of cheongsams， the traditional Chinese dress wellknown for its elegance and colorful patterns.

Since the tourism year opened in Venice， Italy， in January， China and the EU have launched a series of tourism promotion events. The Chinese Lantern Festival held in Brussels Grand-Place in February also enthralled a large number of European visitors.

Experts Gather for Symposium on China Studies

Twenty-eight China watchers from 24 countries and regions gathered in Beijing on July 23 for the 2018 Symposium on China Studies.

Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， the symposium took a look at the past 40 years since the launch of Chinas reform and openingup. Experts on China and academics from a number of countries including Britain， the Netherlands， France， the United States， and India， together with Chinese scholars attended the event.

The symposium focused on three topics， namely new concepts for Chinas development and new prospects for international cooperation， the Belt and Road Initiative and common development， and the Chinese culture and a community with a shared future for humanity.

The attending scholars then headed to Hangzhou， capital of east Chinas Zhejiang Province， for inspections related to Chinas Internet economy and the building of townships that focus on the development of certain industries.

The symposium has been held for six consecutive years， having been attended by 150 internationally influential sinologists and scholars from 56 countries and regions.

Chinese Literature Displayed at Sao Paulo Fair

With a stand dedicated to Chinese literature and culture， Sao Paulo kicked off its 25th biannual international book fair from August 3 to 12.

The fair showcased foreign as well as Brazilian authors， and offered 1，500 hours of cultural activities， debates， seminars， and book launches.

The stand that drew the most attention on the opening day was “China Book，” where Chinese books were on display.

“The fair can be an opportunity for exchanges between the two countries， to better understand Latin America and Brazil， and for them to understand Chinas editorial production in general，”said Yu Yang， head of the Chinese delegation to the fair and editor of the Peoples Publishing House.

China is Brazils leading trade partner， and both belong to the BRICS bloc of emerging economies， along with Russia， India， and South Africa， which helps promote literary exchanges， Yu said. “Being part of BRICS helps Brazil and China； and literature， history， and reading in general can help countries develop closer ties，” he added.

A total of eight Chinese publishing houses exhibited 200 titles， half of them written in Portuguese and English. Luis Torelli， president of the Brazilian Book Chamber， said the fair took place at a tough time for the publishing industry due to economic uncertainty， yet this years fair featured 197 exhibitors.