Renowned as a melting pot of diversified religions and ethnicities, Quanzhou City in Fujian Province, the host city of the 14th Asia Arts Festival will take the initiative to hold multiple forums throughout the festival to enhance cultural communication between different religious groups from various economies.
Artists troupes from 23 countries and three Chinese cities (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) will gather in Quanzhou from November 8 to 15, admiring the exotic relics of religious architectures and feeling the coexistence of various religious beliefs.
As the starting point of Marine Silk Road, Quanzhou attracted bunches of foreign merchants from over 100 countries and regions throughout Tang (AD618-907), Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) Dynasties. It not only witnessed the trading boom in Chinese history, but also established itself as a hub of people of different colors and faiths.
What makes the locals more proud of is the complexity of religious culture has survived the modernization and urbanization and even continues to thrive. Quanzhou is home to descendants of immigrants with religious beliefs. A large number of them are devotees of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Hindus and Jews who practice their worships and rituals on regular basis.
The exhibition--The Breathtaking Blue: Marine Silk Road--will be on offer for a whole month during the Asia Arts Festival. It curates well-kept artifacts by courtesy of embassies of China in 25 countries along the ancient route of the Marine Silk Road. “It offers the visitors a glimpse of the exquisite and priceless artifacts which are seen as the best expression of the city's cultural and ethnic diversity," remarked Ding Yuling, curator of the Maritime Museum.
The 3th Asia Cultural Forums featuring discussion about the pivotal role of Quanzhou in spreading marine culture to the outside whole will invite five representative officials from the UNESCO (United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to trade ideas, Ding introduced.
She said businessmen from Arabic countries as well as other East Asia countries have sought for trade opportunities from Quanzhou and forged a long-term cooperation with the city to develop attire manufacturing and retailing. As Quanzhou owns many popular clothing brands, such as 361 Sport and Septwolves, business persons from Arabic countries find the city a potentially lucrative market for raw materials used in manufacturing, said Ding,
"Therefore, they introduce their high quality raw materials, such as rubber, to Quanzhou, while Quanzhou export their finish costumes to Arabic countries for sale," Ding said.
