Fuzhou, December 21 (fjsen.com) -- Co-hosted by the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government and the 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee, and jointly organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government, the Fuzhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Fuzhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Southeast Network of Fujian Daily, the Award Ceremony of the Second Silk Road International Youth Photography and Short Video Competition and Launching Ceremony of the Third Silk Road Competition took place at Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center on December 21. The event was held in a hybrid form and webcast worldwide through Fujian Daily Omnimedia, Southeast Network, Facebook and other platforms.

A scene of the event

A scene of the event

Hon. Lei Chengcai, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Congress gave a speech

Hon. Lei Chengcai, on behalf of the city of Fuzhou, extended welcome to guests present at the event. He pointed out that Fuzhou, as the ancient capital of Fujian, is a blessed city with profound cultural heritages, and a beautiful city with exquisite scenery, such as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Yantaishan Historic District, Shipyard Museum and Guling, which are popular destinations for short video and photography. Fuzhou also boasts a sound environment for the development of short video industry, with more than 300 short video production enterprises settling down in Fuzhou. Young people are responsible for the inheritance and communication of different cultures. He welcomed guests to walk around and see more in Fuzhou, discover the beauty of China, and show the beauty of Fujian and Fuzhou to the world. He wished the competition to be better organized and become a bridge for young people from all over the world to meet, understand, and interact with each other. At the same time, he hoped that through the Silk Road, Fuzhou would further deepen the exchanges with its international friendship cities including Manila of the Philippines, Honolulu of the United States, Semarang of Indonesia, Shoalhaven and Hobart of Australia, Omsk of Russia and Naha of Japan, as well as members of the 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee, so that our cooperation and friendship will be further enhanced.

　　H.E. Wong Kah Who, Vice Minister of Education, Malaysia delivered a video message

H. E. Wong Kah Who expressed that, through the photography and short video, the Competition has successfully promoted exchanges among young people from countries along the Silk Road and sparked their enormous creativity. The Competition not only showcased the outstanding artistic talents of the contestants, but also promoted cultural integration on a global scale, forming an important bridge connecting different countries and regions. He affirmed the excellent performance of the Malaysian contestants in the Second Silk Road Competition, who not only won honors for the country, but also contributed to the in-depth cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia. He hoped that all parties would continue to work together to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between Malaysia and other countries along the Silk Road.

　Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of UNESCO’s Beijing Office

delivered a video message

Prof. Shahbaz Khan said that he is deeply moved by the efforts Fuzhou invests in preserving diverse cultures that weave the rich heritage of our world. He noted that cultural diversity is a source of innovation. The arts, including photography and short video, play a pivotal role in capturing the essence of cultural diversity, providing a lens through which we can explore, appreciate, and connect with the stories of others. This celebration exemplifies our shared commitment to nurturing creativity and cross-cultural dialogue. Entries are not only visual expressions, but also ambassadors of cultural understanding, forging connections beyond borders.

　Hon. Campbell Barry, Representative of UCLG ASPAC and Vice President of Local Government New Zealand, Lower Hutt Mayor gave a speech

Hon. Campbell Barry noted that it’s a privilege to be part of the Second Silk Road International Youth Photography and Short Video Competition. He’d like to congratulate all entrants on their unique and diverse entries into both the photography and short videos. Beside the celebration of cultures, it also builds lasting connections. New Zealand is a culturally diverse country famous for creative outputs – particularly in the area of film. Through the Silk Road Competition, we get to celebrate our shared values and diverse heritages, which helps lay the foundations for lasting friendships.

Hon. Maria Antonina M. Mendoza-Oblena, Philippine Consul General to Xiamen

gave a speech

Hon. Maria Antonina M. Mendoza-Oblena congratulated the winners of the Competition, especially those from the Philippines. She also congratulated the 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee and the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government for holding the Second  Competition and creating a platform of cultural exchange for the world’s youth, by photography. “Cultural diversity helps develop and enrich our lives in more ways than one. The exposure to different cultures, different religions, different traditions, different values enlighten us and gives us an appreciation of life and living from another person’s point of view,” she said.

Hon. Inna Eletskaya, Vice Mayor of Omsk, Russia delivered a video message

Hon. Inna Eletskaya said that Omsk and Fuzhou are friendship cities. Close business and cultural ties have united us for more than 10 years. She was happy to see young Omsk citizens among the winners of the Second Competition, and she hoped that the friendship between Russia and China, between Omsk and Fuzhou would continue to grow stronger.

　Mr. Vijitha Fernando, Member of 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee,

and Vice President of Kalpitiya Local Authority, Sri Lanka gave a speech

Mr. Vijitha Fernando noted that it is remarkable to see the enthusiasm of youth  from all parts of the world who participated in this photography and video competition and  their professionalism and talents in capturing “The Beauty of Cultural Diversity.” He strongly encouraged the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government to continue the Silk Road International Youth Photography and Short Video Competition, as it encourages youth to gain recognition for their talents and shows the cultures of their countries and regions.

Mr. Wu Xiaojie, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government presided over the event

During the event, representatives of winners of photography and short video groups gave speeches successively. Super tree by Aaron Zhu ZhongYin from Singapore won the first prize of photography group A of the Competition. He thanked the organizers for providing a platform for him to show his interest and an opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable trip to Fuzhou. I Am a Child of Malaysia by Aulyanda Binti Eddia from Malaysia won the first prize of short video group A of the Competition. She is proficient in three languages and is very interested in Chinese culture. She was very happy to stand out in the Competition and said in Malay: "Welcome everyone to Malaysia and experience the beauty of Malaysia." Li Shunchao from Ningbo, China shared the creation process of his winning work and expressed that he was very happy to learn from and communicate with international contestants of the Silk Road Competition, which was a very rare opportunity. Huang Zhenni from Australia, who spoke fluent Chinese, invited guests to visit Hobart, Australia and hoped to have a chance to visit Fuzhou and make friends here in the future. Debora Kharista Christiani from Indonesia expressed her gratitude to  the organizing committee for the recognition of her work, and said that the Silk Road Competition is a very good platform. She encouraged more international teenagers to participate in the competition and noted that as long as we don’t give up, we can succeed.

　The string orchestral of Fuzhou Gezhi High School of Fujian

performed Mozart’s Divertimento K.126

A dance performance video of youth in Hobart, 

Australia, Fuzhou’s international friendship city was broadcast at the venue

　　

A collection of excellent photography and short video works was broadcast at the venue

　Guests visited the exhibition of outstanding works and “Fu” culture exhibition

　　Guests posed for a group photo

At the venue, the string orchestra of Fuzhou Gezhi High School of Fujian performed Mozart’s Divertimento K.136, showing the vigor and talent of the Fuzhou’s youth. The dance performance video of youth in Hobart, Australia, Fuzhou's International Friendship city, showed the strong friendship between Hobart and Fuzhou. In the event, the list of winners of the Second Silk Road Competition was announced, and prizes were awarded to the winners. A collection of excellent photography and short video works was shown, and the entries of young people from various countries were reviewed. Subsequently, leaders and guests visited the exhibition of outstanding works and the "Fu" culture exhibition, experiencing the bright Silk Road culture and the profound "Fu" culture.

The Second Silk Road Competition received 1,312 entries from 42 countries of five continents. Compared with the first Silk Road Competition, the Second Competition has greatly improved in terms of the number of participating countries and works, eliciting warm response and widespread attention overseas, and the competition has been recognized by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia as a world-class competition, which has effectively promoted cultural exchanges and mutual learning among youth worldwide.

On the same day, the Third Silk Road International Youth Photography and Short Video Competition was also launched. With the theme of "Old Silk Road, Young in Cultures" and for purpose of "Every form of beauty has its uniqueness. Precious is to appreciate other forms of beauty with openness. If beauty represents itself with diversity and integrity, the world will be blessed with harmony and unity,” the Competition aims to build a platform for cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign countries, facilitate Fuzhou to build itself into a modern international city, and show the beauty of China, Fujian and Fuzhou to the world.

Source: fjsen.com

Translation: 21CMCC