Chinese books, photos and art arrive in the Mexican city of Guadalajara at the opening of the International Book Fair

MEXICO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — Books representative of Chinese literature, an allegorical photographic exhibition of the landscapes and socioeconomic development of the Chinese city of Xiamen, and a folk art show with puppets from the Asian country animated this Saturday the Mexican city of Guadalajara on the opening day of its renowned International Book Fair (FIL).

Inspired by traditional Chinese architecture and with more than 50 square meters of surface, the China exhibition area at the FIL headquarters brought together children, young people and the general public interested in learning more about Chinese literature and other manifestations of its culture.

Officials from the municipal government of Xiamen, who since Friday have been celebrating with various activities together with the Government of Guadalajara the 20 years of twinning of both cities, gave books, magazines and other gifts to some of the attendees, as a sign of fraternity and solidarity between the Chinese and Mexican peoples.

The China stand at the FIL in Guadalajara, capital of the state of Jalisco, has different thematic areas and shows productions from more than 30 key cultural companies in the Asian country such as New Horizon Media, China Electronics Press, Chemical Industry Press, TiYi Animation, Bilibili and iQiyi.

The FIL of Guadalajara is currently the world’s largest market for publications in Spanish, where more than 800,000 people gather annually, according to figures from its organizers.

In parallel with the opening of the China exhibition area at the event headquarters, the Globo Museo de la Niñez de Guadalajara inaugurated the photographic exhibition “Garden on the Sea”, with images of the city of Xiamen that promote a better understanding of this southeastern Chinese city in the capital of Jalisco, its sister city.

The opening of the exhibition was preceded by a traditional puppet performance from Damingfu, an ancient Chinese city, by the Xiamen Hongyanzhuang Glove Puppet and Shadow Puppet Show Training Center.

The presentation enjoyed the applause and acceptance of the attending audience and, according to the director of Culture of the city government, José Luis Coronado, witnessing it in Guadalajara was “a privilege” because it is a folkloric artistic expression of an ancient culture. , presented with great care and detail.

Shangguan Jun, director general of the Information Department of the Xiamen Municipal Government, said that through the photographic exhibition of his city, China’s books and the magic of puppet shows, Xiamen and all of China express their invitation to friends. from Guadalajara and Mexico to get to know each other better.

Lilian Rizk, director of International Relations and Migrant Assistance of the Government of Guadalajara, thanked the samples and presentations of Chinese culture in her city and said that Xiamen and Guadalajara are “forever friends.”

“During these 20 years we have had important displays of fraternity and solidarity, despite the fact that we are cities that are culturally so different and geographically so distant,” he noted.

“We are very far away, however, we have only one heart that beats at the same rhythm, being a living example of brotherhood and universal love, and demonstrating that in this wide world there is only one race, which is humanity, and the same language , which is love,” he added.

The presentations of Chinese literature and art during the opening day of the FIL are part of the celebrations for the 20 years of twinning between Guadalajara and Xiamen, which began on Friday with a great Chinese festival in which traditional puppets and the dance of lion were the protagonists. End