China on Thursday saw its first flagged coastal cruise ship for international visitors set sail from the second home port in the coastal city of Shenzhen with more than 600 tourists onboard, in continuation of its voyage in China under a newly started China Coastal Cruise Inbound Tourism Program intended to boost inbound tourism.
The cruise ship "China Merchants Aden", to carry out eight scheduled voyages from September to November, uses Shanghai and Shenzhen as its two home ports.
The cruise entered Shenzhen's port on Tuesday after a week-long voyage starting from Shanghai with stops at multiple coastal cities including Zhoushan, Wenzhou, Fuzhou and Xiamen.
Upon arrival, foreign tourists were greeted with a cultural extravaganza.
The ceremony features traditional performances including Sichuan Opera's face-changing, traditional Chinese music and ethnic dance performances.
"It is very very big with a lot of people, (it is) very clean," said Charlie, a tourist.
"And I find it delightful, it's been a beautiful trip," said Antonita, another tourist.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) in May this year enacted a policy that allows visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
The policy applies to 13 Chinese coastal cities including Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Haikou and Sanya.
These tourists can stay in China for no more than 15 days.
China's first international coastal cruise sets sail from second home port
China Media Group (CMG) on Thursday launched eight boutique audiovisual products on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and cultural exchanges between China and France, during an event held in Beijing.
The eight products cover a wide range of subjects including performances of Chinese athletes at the Paris Games, stories of artists joining the art exhibition held in Paris in May, works of art and the food culture of both China and France.
Products, "Give You a Like", "Road to Paris", and "Blooming in Paris", tells the stories of athletes from China as well as the wider world who took part in the Paris Summer Olympics.
"Meeting Paris" explores cultural traces related to the Olympics at various locations across France.
The 100-episode series "From Beijing to Paris: China Art Exhibition" deeply excavates creative stories of more than 100 artists who participated in the major exhibition "From Beijing to Paris: Olympic Tour of Chinese and French Artists". The exhibition was organized by CMG and opened in May at Les Invalides in France.
The twenty-episode series "Bond of Art", and the art experience show "Touring France with Famous Paintings", respectively tell the stories of Chinese artists and the birthplaces of iconic artworks in France.
"Peak of Gastronomy - Competition of Chinese and French Master Chefs" gathers 20 emerging chefs from China and France for the fusion of Chinese and French cuisine.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, President of the Constitutional Council of France Laurent Fabius and former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin sent congratulatory letters to the event.
Meanwhile, representatives of artists attending the exhibition of "From Beijing to Paris: Olympic Tour of Chinese and French Artists" were awarded with honorary certificates.
"The culture exchange between China and France is very important. China Media Group contributes a lot to the cultural exchange between the two countries," said Chang Shana, a professor from the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, and also one of the special consultants for the exhibition.
CMG launches programs on Paris Olympic Games, China-France cultural exchanges
