Grand Celebration to Commemorate Ancient Chinese Poet

A cultural festival will be held on September 22 this year to commemorate the 1,300th birthday of ancient Chinese poet Li Bai in his hometown of Jiangyou City in southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the provincial government.

Duan Yang, mayor of Jiangyou, said that the week-long festival and related activities will be attended by scholars from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore.

Tours of Li Bai's birthplace and poetry recitals will be included in the celebrations, said the mayor.

Meanwhile, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Chinese Writers Association will assist the city in the opening of a pavilion displaying the poet's works and personal belongings.

Born during the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618-907), Li Bai was appointed by the emperor to write poems for the royal family. He was one of the greatest ancient Chinese poets, with more than 1, 000 famous pieces.

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