The 2nd Fuzhou Folk Tourism Festival, an integral part of the 3rd Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival, wrapped up in Fuzhou, capital city of Southeast China's Fujian province on Dec 15.

Activities such as tea brewing, stone carving, paper cutting and Fujian opera performances allowed the participants, who are predominantly from ASEAN countries such as Brunei and Indonesia, to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and local folk customs.

Fujian, an economically powerful area in the country, has been playing an active role in the construction of the B&R Initiative.

First proposed in 2013, the Initiative is a national key project that aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes.

Fuzhou is not the only city to seek closer cultural ties with the countries along the 21st Maritime Silk Road. Quanzhou, a port city in the province, is also included.

The starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Quanzhou is an important harbor and renowned historical and cultural city in the province.

In 2014, it was selected as the permanent host city of the Maritime Silk Road International Art Festival, a national level cultural program under the umbrella of the Initiative.

This year, over 2,000 artists from the countries along the Road attended the festival, and staged a grand audiovisual treat for a global audience.

A guest learns to make a kind of local snack while attending the 2nd Fuzhou Folk Tourism Festival in Fuzhou, capital city of Southeast China's Fujian province on Dec 13. [Photo/FZ Evening News]