Society

Int'l stone culture festival opens in East China's Suzhou

By Ji Fan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-31 17:19

A trade and investment contract signing ceremony is held during the 4th China Lingbi Stone International Culture Festival in Suzhou city, Anhui province.[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

SUZHOU, Anhui -- The 4th China Lingbi Stone International Culture Festival, held in Suzhou, East China's Anhui province, opened on Oct 28 with an array of events showcasing the city's unique lingbi stones, dubbed the first among the famous "Four Famous Stones in China."

Lingbi stone was formed some 70 million years ago and combines various aesthetic characteristics, such as thinness, wrinkles, transparence, oddness, purity, steadiness and euphoniousness. Due to the city's rich stone resources and long-lasting stone appreciation culture, Qiu Peizhe, senior advisor of the China Stones Appreciation Association conferred the title of "City of Stones Appreciation in China" to Suzhou at the event's opening ceremony on Oct 29.

With the theme of "Remarkable Stone, Charming Suzhou" this year, a series of activities have been carried out by the Suzhou city government, including the auction and display of lingbi stones, circus performances and displays of calligraphy works and paintings.

Visitors play with instruments made of lingbi stone during the exhibition.[Photo/China Daily]

The first Lingbi Stone International Culture Festival was held in 2004, for the purpose of developing local culture, promoting communication with the outside world and creating a more favorable investment environment in Suzhou. It has reaped remarkable achievements while exerting considerable influences.

As a sideline of this year's cultural festival, a trade and investment signing ceremony was also held on Oct 29, drawing 59 investors from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Fujian and Zhejiang provinces to inject 20.44 billion yuan ($3 billion) into the city.

As a city with rich cultural resources, Suzhou is also known as the Hometown of Calligraphy and Painting, the Hometown of Suzhou Opera and the Hometown of the Circus. During the festival, visitors get the chance to enjoy the Second International Circus Festival from Oct 30 to Nov 15.

With the opportunities brought by the lingbi stone, Suzhou is becoming a land of business, awaiting more investment from home and abroad and creating a bright future together with the lingbi stones.