CAIRO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A tea-themed cultural salon, accompanied by a tourism promotion ceremony for east China's Shandong Province, captivated the Egyptian audience with the rich cultural traditions of the coastal province.
The gathering immersed more than 200 attendees in an interactive cultural showcase late Thursday.
The Visitors explored displays of Shandong New Year paintings, admired the elegance of Shandong Hanfu (traditional Chinese attire), witnessed the intricate art of Jinan shadow play, and observed the detailed craftsmanship of Zhangqiu gourd carving. Further exhibits included intangible cultural heritage-themed creative products and a dedicated area for Shandong tea.
"Cultural exchanges between Egypt and China could play a positive role in promoting dialogue and multilateralism, so that more people in the world can share a better future," said Essam Sharaf, former Egyptian Prime Minister, at the event.
Liao Liqiang, the Chinese Ambassador to Egypt, highlighted how the Chinese tea-drinking custom and Confucian culture have converged to form the etiquette of making friends and discussing the truth with tea, which is "similar to the Egyptian people's tradition of entertaining guests with black tea to express warm friendship."
"Today we gather together to attend an annual appointment of Chinese tea and Nile water, to implement the global civilization initiative with tea as a medium, and to deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries," Liao said in his speech.
The event was hosted by the China International Culture Association, the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, and with operations managed by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo.
