BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The China International Confucius Cultural Festival will open in Qufu, the birthplace of the renowned philosopher Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province, as announced at a press conference on Friday.
Scheduled to run from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7, the festival will blend culture with tourism, featuring a variety of art performances, exhibitions and folk culture activities across Shandong.
Xu Rong, an official of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), said the ministry will actively support Shandong's efforts to develop the festival into a global platform for cultural exchange, enhance the reach and appeal of Chinese civilization, and promote cross-cultural learning and dialogue.
This year's festival is jointly launched by the provincial government of Shangdong, the MCT and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO. ■
