China is ready to work with Ghana to implement outcomes of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), said Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting with Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Beijing on Thursday.
Xi extended his welcome to Akufo-Addo, who is attending the FOCAC summit in China.
"Welcome to China for the summit once again. During the summit, we have summed up our historical experience in maintaining China-Africa friendship, made clear the direction and ways for China and Africa to jointly advance modernization, and defined the direction for the advancement of the Global South. China is ready to work with Ghana to effectively implement the outcomes from the summit," Xi said.
"China and Ghana enjoy a long-standing friendship. Ghana is the second country in sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. Since the two countries established diplomatic relations 64 years ago, their friendship has stood the test of time and grown from strength to strength, no matter how the international situation has evolved. China has always viewed its relations with Ghana from a strategic and long-term perspective. China stands ready to work with Ghana to effectively carry forward the profound friendship forged by the older generation of leaders of the two countries, continuously enhance political mutual trust, and pursue solid progress in advancing exchanges and cooperation in various fields," he said.
"So once again, President Xi, thank you very much for the invitation to come to Beijing again for the FOCAC conference. We also value very, very much our relations with China. They've been strong relations for over 60 years. In fact, I think that we are one of the first countries in Africa to have established diplomatic relations with China, and ever since then we have counted on you as one of our most reliable friends," said Akufo-Addo.
Themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," the 2024 FOCAC summit is scheduled to be held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, with a view to strengthening friendship and outlining future cooperation between China and Africa.
China ready to work with Ghana to implement outcomes of FOCAC summit: Xi
China ready to work with Ghana to implement outcomes of FOCAC summit: Xi
China ready to work with Ghana to implement outcomes of FOCAC summit: Xi
China ready to work with Ghana to implement outcomes of FOCAC summit: Xi
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the charcoal sparks dance, an intangible cultural heritage of China, provided a visual feast for visitors at a scenic spot in east China's Anhui Province As night fell at the Qiyunshan scenic spot in Xiuning County on Saturday, a charcoal sparks dance performance illuminated the sky. As the performers waved bamboo poles adorned with spark-emitting cages, sparks transformed into countless golden flowers.
"I've seen it on TV before. It's even more amazing and enjoyable to see on site. I highly recommend it," said Shen Lusha, a tourist.
The charcoal sparks dance is a traditional folk dance originating from central China's Hunan Province. The performers place red-hot charcoal fuel into a small iron wire cage, which is then tied to the tip of a bamboo pole with a rope. Then they swing the bamboo pole, triggering the wire lantern to move. In the night, the dance creates a mesmerizing display, with changing movements and flying sparks.
"The dimmer the light, the better it will be," said Wang Tongzhang, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage.
The dance not only won acclaim from the audience offline, but also gained the attention of tens of millions of online viewers on the short video platforms.
"Dancing requires a lot of efforts. Once you start, you have to keep going. The bigger the movements, the larger the sparks. So if you begin dancing, you can't pause. Sometimes, the charcoal sparks may even fall on my head and burn my hair. Through my videos, I hope people can see and understand this traditional culture," said Shi Haifeng, a short video maker.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday this year, Qiyunshan scenic spot has created an immersive tourism experience with focus on intangible cultural heritage performances, aiming to attract first-time visitors to return.
"While enjoying the beautiful scenery of Qiyun Mountain, tourists can also immerse themselves in intangible cultural heritage skills. During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, it is expected that the number of tourists will exceed 100,000," said Tao Ru, manager of the cultural tourism department of the Qiyunshan Management Committee.
The Mid-Autumn Festival in China is a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, as well as an occasion for family and friend reunions to eat mooncakes and appreciate the moon. It falls on the fifteenth day of the eight month in the traditional Chinese calendar.
This year's festival falls on Sept 17, with the public holiday running from Sunday to Tuesday.
Dazzling charcoal sparks dance provides visual fest for visitors in China's Anhui
