Launching ceremony of “great fortune in joyful Ningbo” held
- Details
- Category: Ningbo News
- Published: Wednesday, 22 January 2025 15:33
A canal is the historical memory and cultural context of a city. On January 1, 2025, the launching ceremony of the “great fortune in joyful Ningbo” was held along the Grand Canal (Ningbo section), using the canal as a thread to measure urban development with footsteps. This event is hosted by Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film, Television and Tourism, and the People’s Government of Haishu District, and supported by Youku Humanities.
Ningbo, a port connecting the world, is not only the southern outlet of China’s Grand Canal, but also the eastern starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. For thousands of years, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal has connected inland cities with the Maritime Silk Road, accumulating profound and rich cultural connotations.
At 6:30 in the morning, the Drum Tower area, as the starting point of this event, was already crowded with people and the atmosphere was lively. 600 citizens and tourists as members of the “Great Fortune Group” were full of energy and eager to start their running. Up on the stage, the “mechanical dog” performance and the lion dance moves attracted people’s eyes.
Subsequently, accompanied by the sound of the drum, Ye Zhili, Secretary of the Haishu District Party Committee, Ying Jianyong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film, Television and Tourism, and Wen Shaoqing, guest expert of the Youku program “Shining Grand Canal” and Associate Professor of the Institute of Science and Technology and Archaeology of Fudan University, led more than 20 teams to beginning running from the starting line and head towards the new year of 2025.
As is reported, the entire route of this event is 10 kilometers long, connecting such tourist attractions as Yongfeng Gate Site, Tianyi Pavilion Museum, Wangjing Gate Site, Changchun Gate Site, Lingqiao Gate Site, Heyi Gate Site, Dongdu Gate Site, and Qianye Guild Hall. The running event aims to allow people to personally experience the charm and cultural heritage of the canal, as well as expressing their longing for a better life and expectations for the new year.
“The Ningbo section of the Grand Canal faces overseas, and its status and importance are self-evident.” said Associate Professor Wen Shaoqing from Fudan University. From the event, he saw the courage, wisdom, and determination of Ningbo people, especially their spirit of exploring and going out towards the ocean.
Reportedly, the recently popular program “Shining Grand Canal” has gathered more than 20 top scholars and guest experts from different fields to explore the history and stories hidden behind the canal. In the first episode of the program, Ningbo served as the starting station and welcomed the “Fortune Group” led by four experts from the fields of philosophy, literature, technology, archaeology, and history, including Liu Qing, Ma Jiahui, Wen Shaoqing, and Duan Zhiqiang, as well as the popular cross-talk performer Yan Hexiang and comedian Liu Yang.
The “great fortune in joyful Ningbo” event will last until March 31. Citizens and tourists can attend the activities for the five specially designed tourist routes, to explore the historical sites of the Ningbo section of the Grand Canal and experience in person the unique beauty of Ningbo