The International Poetry Festival: Soaring Dreams over Picturesque Lishui was held at the Lishui International Convention and Exhibition Center in Lishui, Zhejiang province, on July 19.

The gathering featured representatives of diplomats from foreign embassies and missions in China, international students at Tsinghua University, overseas Chinese, and artists, who recited classic poems in both Chinese and other languages. The selection included pieces highlighting Lishui's natural and cultural beauty.

Dimitrios Foukis, head of public diplomacy at the Greek Consulate in Shanghai and one of the just-opened Lishui Airport's inaugural passengers, embraced Chinese customs by bowing with a traditional fan in hand. International students recited renowned works such as Farewell to Cambridge and When You Are Old, bringing cross-cultural poetic charm to the event.

Attendees recite classic poems. [Photo/Tide News]

Lishui, rich in cultural heritage, has inspired famous Chinese poets like Xie Lingyun (385–433) and Li Bai (701–762). The city is home to over 400 historical and cultural towns and villages, which is the most in East China.

The city boasts three intangible cultural heritage items listed among the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and numerous national and provincial heritage items.

"The poetry festival transcends language barriers and cultural differences, merging Eastern landscapes with Western philosophical rhythms," said Zhao Lijun, director of the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration's Africa and Europe Communication Center.