The 2024 Culture Art Festival for Chinese Characters Cross-Strait opened Friday in Xiamen City of east China's Fujian Province.
Themed "promoting cross-Strait integration through Chinese calligraphy", the event aims to explore new paths for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait through a diverse array of cultural activities.
The opening ceremony offered an attention-grabbing display of Hanfu, the traditional attire once-commonly worn by ethnic-majority Han Chinese, with models from both sides of the Strait showcasing their attire in a unique fashion show.
Integrating the 16 'characters of the year' from the festival's past editions with traditional costumes, the event offers a fresh perspective on the charm of the Chinese writing system which has survived for thousands of years.
The festival features a range of activities, including a Chinese character creativity fair, cross-Strait youth Chinese character competitions, a Chinese character creativity contest, and the selection of the Chinese character of the year, attracting significant participation from young people across the Strait.
"The design of each character carries its own meaning, but younger generations are increasingly unable to appreciate the beauty of Chinese characters. I believe this event helps showcase Chinese culture and keep it alive, which is quite meaningful," said Wang Li-ch'iao, a youth from Taiwan.
Initiated in 2008, the Culture Art Festival for Chinese Characters Cross-Strait has become one of the most widely attended and influential cultural exchange events across the Strait. This year, organizers will invite representatives from both sides of the Strait to submit their chosen character of the year. Online voting will run from late November to early December, with a reveal event scheduled in Taiwan by the end of the year.
"Encouraging young people from both sides of the Strait, as well as compatriots from Taiwan interested in traditional Chinese culture, to participate each year will undoubtedly have a positive impact on cross-Strait exchanges," said Wu Chia-ying, standing Vice President of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland (ATIEM).

2024 cross-Strait art festival on Chinese characters opens in Xiamen