"Upholding cultural confidence is a major issue that concerns the nation's fate, cultural security, and the independence of the national spirit." In May this year, during his visit to ShandongProvince, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Shandong Province should undertake the cultural mission of the new era, actively promote cultural prosperity, build a culturally strong country, and construct modern Chinese civilization."

Guided by Xi Jinping's important speech, various regions in Shandong Province have been deeply exploring their urban cultural connotations, enriching their cultural tourism product offerings, and promoting the deep integration of culture and tourism by shaping tourism with culture and highlighting culture through tourism. From June 20 to 27, the first Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival will be held in the ancient townof Mingshui, Zhangqiu District, JinanCity. The combination of poetry and the city always sparks new ideas, especially when this occursin ZhangqiuDistrict, JinanCity, the hometown of the Song Dynasty poet Li Qingzhao, known for its profound historical and cultural heritage. The first Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival is not only a cultural feast but also a refined example of the integration and innovative development of culture and tourism in ZhangqiuDistrict, JinanCity, and even the whole of ShandongProvince. Here, we can witness a vibrant ZhangqiuDistrict, an energetic JinanCity, and feel the rich cultural atmosphere of ShandongProvince, the hometown of Confucius and Mencius.

Jinan City Opens a New Window to Engage with Young People

After the TV drama "The Story of Minglan" became a hit, there has been a renewed interest in poetry among young people. "Last night, the wind was strong and the rain was sparse. I slept deeply but couldn't shake off the lingering effects of the wine. When I asked the person rolling up the blinds, they said the begonia flowers were still the same. Do you know? Do you know? It should be the verdant leaves flourishing and the red flowers fading." Through repeated recitations, people discover the unparalleled beauty of poetic China and strive to pursue the vibrant youth nurtured by traditional Chinese culture.

With the diversification of cultural consumption, young people increasingly seek profound and warm cultural experiences. In recent years, JinanCityhas continually innovated its cultural tourism products, combining the "Spring City" culture to develop new tourism products such as night tours and city adventure tours. Technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been introduced, allowing young people to use modern technology to"check in" andexperience traditional culture in a novel way. Jinan City also regularly hosts various cultural and art festivals, music festivals, and food festivals, inviting pop singers and online celebrities to enhance the attractiveness and topicality of these events, attracting young people through social media.

By focusing on shaping the cultural brand of the "City of Poetry," the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival provides Jinan City with a new platform to attract young people. Hosting poetry recitals, literary salons, art exhibitions, and other activities will greatly attract young participants and attention. The art festival is not just a stage for showcasing poetry but also a place for young people to explore themselves and express their emotions. Early provision of personalized travel route planning and customized experience activities, such as cultural exploration workshops in calligraphy, painting, and traditional music centered around poetry, can ensure that tourists not only"come for the poetry" but also engage deeply and learn "in the name of poetry." Additionally, improving basic infrastructure like WiFi coverage, mobile payments, optimizing public transportation, and providing multilingual services will make young visitors' experiences more convenient and comfortable.

Through the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival, JinanCityis expected to meet the new demands of young tourists in cultural tourism consumption, becoming a new cultural window and trend landmark where contemporary youth and traditional culture attract and connect with each other, continually enhancing its appeal and competitiveness as a tourist destination.

Friendly Shandong Province Understands Romance Better

In recent years, "FriendlyShandong" has become a distinctive cultural IP popular both domestically and internationally. Since the press conference in mid-March this year, Mingshui Ancient Townhas been hosting a series of artistic activities themed around the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival. These activities include collaborations between Chinese and foreign literature, and cross-genre integrationsof literature with dance, fine arts, and other art forms, creating a series of rich and full artistic feasts that make one exclaim: Has Mingshui Ancient Townentered the art world?

If "FriendlyShandong" is a high-level summary of the humanistic spirit of the land of Qilu, then the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival elevates this brand to a new romantic height through poetry. Clear waters, small boats, ancient buildings, and slanting willows—entering the Mingshui Ancient Townscenic area, visitors are greeted with an ancient and elegant "Jiangnan of the North" under the blue sky and white clouds. During holidays, the ancienttown is bustling with tourists, either boating leisurely, walking to appreciate the ancient cityscape, or experiencing various intangible cultural heritages, creating a lively and romantic atmosphere.

Mingshui Ancient Townis developing a sustainable "poetry + cultural tourism" path, using the "Li Qingzhao" cultural IP to evoke emotional resonance among visitors. The scenic area is being transformed into a cultural experience field where one can sense Li Qingzhao's talent and fate. By turning cultural tourism products into experiential scenes, it constructs a retro yet fashionable experiential consumption space related to Li Qingzhao, her poetry, and the era's background.

It is foreseeable that during the art festival, not only will poets and art lovers from all directions participate, but there will also be enthusiastic interactions with the public and tourists in JinanCity, collectively weaving a romantic feast of poetry and cultural tourism. This will not only once again showcase the hospitality of the Shandong people but also deeply embed the new IP image of "Romantic Shandong" into people's hearts.

"Mastering the Kitchen and Gracing the Halls": Why Zhangqiu District Understands Appreciation

Why Zhangqiu for Qingzhao's Hometown?

"Zhangqiu’s scallions grow taller than a person, its spring water is sweet as delight, its iron woks shine like mirrors, and its black pottery is as thin as a shell..." As the birthplace and namesake of Longshan Culture, Zhangqiu is renowned nationwide as a "millennium-old county" and a "Little Spring City." In ZhangqiuDistrict, culture is the root and spring water is the soul. The cultures of migrants to the northeast, blacksmiths, and Confucian merchants enhance Zhangqiu's competitiveness, reputation, and prestige.

ZhangqiuDistrictis not only the home of Li Qingzhao; it is also the hometown of Zou Yan, the Warring States philosopher, Fang Xuanling, a famous Tang Dynasty chancellor, and Meng Luochuan, a modern Confucian merchant. Now, with the blooming of the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival, Zhangqiu's spirit of innovation, courage to explore, and diligence is fully displayed.In ZhangqiuDistrict, there is both the hustle and bustle of a modern city and the quiet, ancient nostalgia. The intangible cultural heritage of Longshan black pottery, Zhangqiu iron woks, Zhangqiu bangzi (a traditional Chinese folk opera), gourd carving, and woodblock New Year paintings, having endured through time, now shine brightly in the language of poetry.

"Always remember the sunset at the creek pavilion, drunk and forgetting the way home." Zhangqiu is waiting for dreams of poetry and distant places to arrive. At the end of May, the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival, in collaboration with the Austrian Embassy's cultural office, held a "The 100th Anniversary of Kafka's Death." Artists performed a dance inspired by Kafka under the theme "Bridge",exhibited different dimensions of "The Metamorphosis" through visual arts, and explored alternative expressions through literature and various art forms, bringing visitors closer to Kafka. The upcoming Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival will feature diverse activities, including poetry recitations, academic seminars, poetry markets, poetry concerts, and poetry films, promoting cross-genre integration such as ancient town+ art, ancient town+ opera, and ancient town+ performance.

These integrations, rich in artistic visuals, will form an art performance cluster where visitors can immerse themselves in diverse cultural scenes. The springs in Zhangqiu District gush forth, with BaimaiSpring, Meihua Spring, Mo Spring, Dongmawan, Ximawan, and Yanming Spring among Jinan's seventy-two famous springs. BaimaiSpring is celebrated alongside Baotu Spring as the "chief spring in the west and the crown in the east." Mingshui Ancient Town, centered around BaimaiSpring, integrates elements like Qingzhao culture, spring water culture, Confucian merchant culture, and blacksmith culture to create a spring water ecological cultural zone. This area features transportation by boats, picturesque buildings, intertwined agriculture and commerce, fragrant rice paddies, and a fusion of ancient and modern cultures. Visitors can watch, participate, interact, and practice, turning Zhangqiu's tourist space into a "performance space" where they become part of the scene. Based on the Qingzhao IP, Mingshui Ancient Townis making strides in the "art track" with strong support.

The Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival arrives as scheduled, but why Zhangqiu? This district of JinanCity, with its unique historical and cultural heritage, becomes an organicpart of the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival. In ZhangqiuDistrict, we experience the bustling life, "mastering the kitchen," and touch the heights of poetic art, "gracing the halls." Zhangqiu's welcoming applause and appreciation, especially its embrace of the young and understanding of their free lifestyle, stand out.

As the famous poet Shu Ting wrote in "You Are the Scallion of Zhangqiu," "Wherever I see clear springs gushing again, I can't help but remember the bright eyes and white teeth of Zhangqiu." With the arrival of the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival, "Mastering the Kitchen," "Gracing the Halls," and "Appreciating the Arts," Zhangqiu has gained wider recognition and dissemination. Theblend of "cultural tourism + industry" is extending its influence further.

Honoring Chinese Classical Poetry: Esteemed Poet Shu Ting Joins

Chinese poetry has a long history, with many classic Tang and Song dynasty poems embedded in the nation's psyche. With the rise of poetry competitions on TV and the spread of short video interpretations, poetry increasingly enters people's lives. JinanCity, known as the "City of Poetry",has a rich literary atmosphere.

Holding the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival in Mingshui Ancient Town, ZhangqiuDistrict, has the advantages of favorable timing, geographical benefit, and harmonious conditions. With historical advantages from poets like Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji, a picturesque setting conducive to a poetry festival, and the thriving operation of the ancient townattracting large crowds, the festival enjoys customer and communication advantages. These factors have smoothly propelled the festival forward, drawing attention and participation from many literary figures. The presence of the renowned poet Shu Ting adds exceptional brilliance to the festival.

As a prominent contemporary Chinese female poet, Shu Ting's participation honors Li Qingzhao, a historical female poet, and represents a heartfelt reflection on modern and classical Chinese poetry. Shu Ting's high reputation in the literary world will enhance the festival's visibility and influence, attracting more poets and literary enthusiasts domestically and internationally, thereby increasing the event's international profile.

"If I love you—not like the climbing trumpet creeper, flaunting itself on your high branches; if I love you—not like theinfatuatedbird with its monotonous song for shade…" Shu Ting’s well-known works resonate widely. The first Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival encompasses international poets and new poetry, promoting the art of poetry to the public and fostering the creation of Chinese new poetry. This effort will help JinanCityestablish a unique and highly distinctive poetry art festival in ShandongProvince, opening new avenues for cultural tourism products and creating new opportunities for tourists to explore JinanCity.

Rediscovering the Beauty of "Spring City" and Embracing a Life of Freedom with Poetry

JinanCity of Shandong Province, renowned worldwide as the "Spring City," has a rich poetic heritage that traces back to ancient times, beginning with Emperor Shun playing the five-stringed zither. The earliest Chinese poem, "Xiaoya: Dadong" from the "Book of Songs", is believed to be written by a senior official from the ancient state of Tan Guo, a nativeof Zhangqiu. According to statistics, over 1,200 renowned poets have either lived in or visited JinanCity, earning it a star-studded poetic legacy. Du Fu immortalized the city with the verse, "This ancient pavilion by the sea, many renowned scholars hail from Jinan," while Yuan Haowen, enchanted by the city's springs, penned, "Envy Jinan's beautiful landscapes, wishing to be a Jinan person forever." Zhang Yanghao at 19 wrote, "Lying down with the azure hound, below are turbulent waves, surging and rushing like thunder," adding to the more than 20,000 poems dedicated to Jinan, an unparalleled poetic heritage.

Making "springs" and "poetry" the cultural IP of JinanCityand transforming them into a free lifestyle that attracts people, areinseparable from the city's deep cultivation and exploration of resources, including poets and writers like Li Qingzhao. In Prague, Czech Republic, the traces of literary giants such as Kafka and Milan Kundera can be seen everywhere on the streets. Residents enthusiastically share the stories of these famous figures with tourists because they are a heartfelt and proud part of their city's cultural identity. By integrating springs and poetry into Jinan's lifestyle and embedding the works of Li Qingzhao and others into the hearts of its citizens, the city can draw more nourishment from its historical and cultural heritage.

In May, Jinan City initiated activities to excavate, communicate, and develop poetry-related cultural products. "May you have another cup of wine, as you journey westward beyond the Yangguan Pass, where no old friends remain"… Every weekend, the Yi'an Poetry Club is performed in the Mingshui Ancient Town scenic area, where "ancient figures" travel through time to guide visitors in experiencing the beauty of poetry.JinanCity, renowned worldwide for its springs, now boasts the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival as another brilliant cultural gem. Through a series of poetry and art activities, the festival closely integrates poetry with Jinan's natural landscapes, promoting a new, free lifestyle. This approach transforms "first-time visitors" into "return visitors" and "passersby" into "overnight guests," allowing more people to rediscover the unique charm of JinanCity.

Reciting Chinese Poetry with the World’s Voice

Chinese poetry boasts a long history, with classic Tang and Song poems ingrained in the nation's cultural fabric. With the rise of poetry competitions on TV and short video interpretations, poetry increasingly enters people's lives. The Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival includes international poets and modern poetry, featuring recitals, academic seminars, university poetry alliances, and awards, bringing outstanding poets and their works to the public.

In today's irreversible globalization, different cultures thrive through exchange. The festival invites poets and artists from around the world, offering an international poetry exchange program, youth art residency plans, and cultural workshops, allowing foreign poets to read Chinese poetry. The festival uses the world's voice to tell Chinese stories, showcasing Chinese culture's unique charm and inclusiveness. Suchcultural exchangesfoster understanding and friendship between different cultures, contributing to global cultural diversity.

The Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival explores various "Poetry+" possibilities. "Poetry+Art" blends poetic expression with theater and film, creating a harmonious integration of different art forms. "Poetry+Tourism" leverages the growing interest in Chinese classical poetry, encouraging regions like Shandong Province to develop "Poetry+Tourism" products. "Poetry+Consumption" employs themes such as "Finding Li Qingzhao" and Song Dynasty children's fun markets to popularize, commercialize, and modernize poetry culture, turning niche interests into mainstream consumption trends through poetic sentiments.

Li Qingzhao, with her delicate and emotional lyrics, represents Song Dynasty female poets and shines brightly in Chinese literary history. With the "Cultural Power" strategy in full swing, cultural activities flourish across regions. The Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival, integrating cultural heritage and tourism development, reflects Jinan's cultural confidence and showcases its cultural soft power. The festival allows audiences to experience the emotional world and cultural background of a Song Dynasty woman up close, deepening their understanding of China's history and social changes, and enhancing the global appreciation of Chinese culture's unique charm and modern value.

Looking forward, the Qingzhao Poetry Art Festival aims to become an internationally renowned cultural brand, showcasing the unique cultural charm of Shandong Province and Jinan City. It will promote cultural exchange between China and other countries, enrich spiritual life, and contribute to high-quality local economic and tourism development by effectively telling the "Chinese story."