Central Axis culture speech contest wraps up

A total of 30 contestants stood out among the more than 30,000 participants worldwide at the Central Axis culture speech contest on Nov 13.

They were named cultural influencers for the Beijing Central Axis.

The contest was part of the Competition for the Transmission and Promotion of Beijing Central Axis, which was hosted by the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau and the Beijing Municipal Office for Conservation and Management of Central Axis.

Participants aged from 3 to 86 painted a vivid picture of the Central Axis' history and culture from their perspectives through multiple languages, such as Mandarin, English, Japanese, French and Russian.

"The speech contest is a very good carrier to attract public participation, spread the culture of the Central Axis and tell its story," says Chen Mingjie, director of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau.

"We hope that the participants will share their perceptions, stories, experiences and knowledge of Beijing Central Axis, and dig deeper into the value of Central Axis cultural heritage," Chen says.

The goal is to invite more people to participate in the inheritance and innovation of Beijing Central Axis culture, according to the local authorities.