The eighth China Poetry Festival opened on Oct 12 in Tiantai county, Taizhou, Zhejiang province, under the theme "Poetry Rises Between Mountains and Seas, Poetry in China." The event runs through Oct 23.

The festival will host a seminar featuring more than 100 poets, poetry critics, scholars, journal editors, and local poets to discuss the relationship between new-style and traditional Chinese poetry.

Alongside the discussions, the festival will showcase creative works combining poetry with painting and music. Selected works will be published, and a special issue of Shikan, a Chinese literary journal devoted to poetry, will be compiled.

Beyond literary discussions and creative showcases, the festival will bring poetry into other areas of cultural life, including traditional opera, food, tourism, and artificial intelligence. Planned activities include immersive opera experiences, dining featuring poetic elements, themed travel routes, an art exhibition on the Road of Tang Poetry in eastern Zhejiang province, stage performances, and cultural tourism shows.

The opening ceremony on Oct 12 featured a theatrical performance inspired by the Road of Tang Poetry, using dramatic staging to evoke a poetic journey through time.

Founded in 2005, the festival is held every three years and aims to promote poetry and bring it into everyday life.