Guests attending the opening ceremony of the second Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Expo enjoy a boat trip in Wuxi on Sept 3. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]
As dusk fell on the tranquil waters of the time-honored Grand Canal, the second Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Expo kicked off in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province on Sept 3.
In order to showcase the best features of the beautiful Wuxi section of the Grand Canal, guests from home and abroad were invited to take a boat trip at night during the opening ceremony. It started from the Wuxi Canal Park, and led to live performances at 12 spots along both sides of the Grand Canal.
The 40-minutes of dance and song combined Wuxi's unique local cultural elements with cutting-edge technologies to create an immersive experience that took the audience through the history of Wuxi's canal.
The opening show tells the story of Wuxi residents and the Grand Canal. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]
The main dance show, called Four Seasons of the Canal, integrated music, dance, poetry, folk arts and opera to introduce the audience to the beautiful scenery of the canal as it varied from season to season.
In addition, a drone dance show and interactive activities arrested people's attention, expressing the integration of tradition and modernity along the ancient river.
Wuxi Party Secretary Huang Qin attended the opening ceremony and welcomed all the guests to enjoy the city's history and culture.
Huang said that the Grand Canal, which stretches from Beijing to Hangzhou, is the most important river in Wuxi. It is the home of the city's history, showcases its wonderful status as a water town, develops its economy and shapes the lifestyles of its residents.
In recent years, Wuxi has been working on the protection of cultural heritages, ecological protection and restoration, and construction on the bank of the Grand Canal cultural belt, aiming to build the Wuxi section of the canal into a tribute to local tourism attractions, as well as to innovation, said Huang.
Huang added that this year's expo is a platform for exchanges and cooperation of all parties worldwide working on the protection and inheritance of the Grand Canal culture.
With the theme of "integration, innovation, sharing", it consists of seven sectors involving 15 key activities, including nighttime visits on the Grand Canal, an opening ceremony, stage performances and exhibitions and forums, all aimed at integrating the Grand Canal culture of Wuxi and other cities along the ancient waterway.
