The bazaar on Jiangxin Islet

On the morning of November 4th, the opening ceremony of “Song Flavored Wenzhou Culture” 2022 Cultural Tourism Festival Featuring Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road & the launching ceremony of “Literary Sparks for Beauty” was held on Jiangxin Islet, the islet of poetry. Ten Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road Tour Routes and ten “Literary Sparks for Beauty” Demonstration Sites were announced to showcase Wenzhou culture with Song flavor (here “Song” refers to the Song Dynasty <960-1279>).

Ten Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road Tour Routes

The 2022 Cultural Tourism Festival is themed as “Song Flavored Wenzhou Culture” with five thematic activities: Jiangxin Bazaar, Sharing of Landscape Poetry Source, Song-style Garden Fete, Song-fashion Games, and Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road Exhibition. By carrying forward the cultural brand of Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road, it will display the poetry and elegance of Wenzhou with its long history.

During the ceremony, ten Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road Tour Routes were announced, including the poetry road tour called “Tracing Xie Lingyun”, the “Hundreds of Crafts” study tour called “Tracing Ancient Crafts” suitable for parents and children, the leisurely wellness tour in mountainous villages to experience the tradition of “Part Work, Part Study”, as well as other tour routes to travel in the nine mountains in Wenzhou, feel the customs of She nationality and experience fishing customs of Fujian and Wenzhou.

On the day of the ceremony, the show of “People and Things of the Song Dynasty” and classical Chinese costume flash mob performance etc. set off a rush for ancient style in Jiangxin Islet. There was also a seminar with the theme of “Song Flavored Wenzhou Culture, Source of Landscape Poetry”, where authoritative experts and big shots from all walks of life made keynote speeches and discussions on the integration of landscape poetry and cultural tourism. In addition, events like “Sharing of Original Songs Inspired by Wenzhou Ancient Poetry”, “Appreciation of the Song Dynasty Female Makeup Art” and “Song-style Aesthetics and Modern Space Creation” brought audience closer to the Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road and let them feel the new charm of Song culture.

Except for the activities at the main venue of Jiangxin Islet, there are also opera performances at the Songtai Mountain Branch, as well as other relevant activities such as the 3rd Qidu Slow Rice Festival, and “Meet the Landscape” commemoration activity to celebrate the 1600th anniversary of Xie Lingyun assuming the post of prefect in Wenzhou.

Ten “Literary Sparks for Beauty” Demonstration Sites

While “Song Flavored Wenzhou Culture” Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road reveals Wenzhou’s cultural tourism from multi-perspectives in an all round way, the project of “Literary Sparks for Beauty” unearths the literary treasure of Wenzhou for the in-depth development of its cultural tourism.

The project of “Literary Sparks for Beauty” is a key project launched by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism to spread literary art all over the city and the countryside for a beautiful society. Through the project, culture will be closer to the public and enrich people’s mind. The project is piloted in Lucheng and Ouhai, with ten demonstration sites at first, including such historical and cultural districts, key communities, public cultural venues and tourist destinations as “Xiaobafang Slow Life Neighborhood”, “Jiangxin Islet 4A-level Scenic Spot” and “Chashan Shangen Music and Art Village”.

Drawing on the experiences of the pilots, the project then will be promoted citywide by category to show Wenzhou’s fashion and literary art in high-quality, diversified and down-to-earth art forms, so that the literary art sparks can illuminate the land of Wenzhou.

At the same time, Wenzhou will also promote the construction of the Oujiang River Landscape Poetry Road Cultural Belt at a high level, with the focus on six cultural themes, i.e., the Millennial Old Town, Source of Landscape Poetry, Idyllic Countryside, Learning of Yongjia School, Hundreds of Crafts, and Red Culture in South Zhejiang. No effort will be spared to improve the overall transformation of Jiangxin Islet and the construction of Jiangxin West Park, to launch the “Classic Route of Oujiang Landscape Poetry Road”, and to dig deep into the landscape culture, opera culture, Tanghe River culture and marine culture, so that Wenzhou will be more picturesque and poetic.