A tourism and culture exchange activity focusing on Japan's Oita prefecture is held in Jinan on Feb 18. [Photo/Dazhong News]
A tourism and culture exchange activity focusing on Japan's Oita prefecture was held in Jinan on Feb 18. This marked the end of the serial celebrations falling under the umbrella "2022 Culture City of East Asia – Jinan".
Since 2022, Jinan has launched 146 different activities to celebrate the "2022 Culture City of East Asia – Jinan" campaign, which not only offered local residents a feast of art and culture but also showcased the city's myriad charms to the world.
Oita prefecture is located in the northeastern part of Kyushu, Japan, which boasts beautiful scenery and abundant natural resources, and is the birthplace of the "one industry per town, one product per village" approach. Oita prefecture, together with China's Wenzhou and Jinan, and South Korea's Gyeongju city, were all named 2022 Culture Cities of East Asia at the 12th China-Japan-South Korea Cultural Ministers' Meeting in August 2021.
The Culture City of East Asia campaign was co-developed by China, Japan, and South Korea, to rank as an international event that celebrates culturally rich and iconic cities. The title has helped Jinan increase its soft power and expand its global influence.
Jinan, dubbed a "city of springs", is an important site for the inheritance and development of Confucian culture. The ancient city with a history of thousands of years is bursting with growth.
The title of 2022 Culture City of East Asia has become a new calling card for Jinan, and is of great importance in helping the city to promote urban cultural construction and deepen international cultural exchanges and cooperation.
In the future, Jinan will develop an international communication brand featuring the unique characteristics of its local culture, and make continuous efforts to expand the branding effect of its new status as a Culture City of East Asia. It will aim to positively promote stories about China and the culture of Jinan, making China's voice heard on the world scene, while also promoting exchanges and mutual learning between various countries and cultures.
