On the 28th of March, the Confucius Institute hosted the opening ceremony for the China World Heritage Tourism Photo Exhibition at the University of New South Wales.
Honourable guests that attended the event included: Mr. Ma Boyang, Deputy Director of the Market Development Division at the Beijing Municipal Tourism Development Commission; Mr. Yan Xiangjun, Director of the Market Development Division at the Shandong Tourism Development Committee; Mr. Zhang Junli, Vice President of China Travel International Convention & Exhibition Co., Ltd.; Education Counsellor, Mr. Niu Wenqi, of the Education Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney; and Education Consul, Mr. Liu Jianbo; Ms Tanya Spisbah, Director of International Strategy at UNSW, Mr. Rhys Palmer, Deputy Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales, Ms Xi Junfang, a teacher and student representative from UNSW. Media and press correspondents also attended the event.
Ms Tanya Spisbah delivered the welcoming speech and greeted the guests from the Beijing Tourism Development Committee and the Shandong Tourism Development Committee who had come from afar. She expressed how pleased UNSW was to have this opportunity to allow both UNSW teachers and students to see the appeal of travelling to China through appreciating these world-heritage recognised locations. In her introductory speech, Ms Tanya Spisbah went on to thank the Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales for setting up fantastic opportunities for cultural exchange within the university.
Mr. Niu Wenqi, Education Counsellor of the People’s Republic of China’s Consulate General in Sydney, and Mr. Ma Boyang, Deputy Director of the Market Development Division of the Beijing Tourism Development Committee unveiled the China World Heritage Photo Exhibition together.
During the opening ceremony, the Shandong Tourism Development Committee and the Beijing Municipal Tourism Development Committee talked about their knowledge and expertise of tourism in China. Both Committees also distributed a large variety of products from the China World Heritage Tourism Organisation, such as USBs and magnets.
Confucius Institute also hosted an interactive question and answer session about Chinese World Heritage tourism. Volunteer student ambassadors from the Confucius Institute roused the interest of the audience and encouraged the audience to participate in the activities. Finally, three lucky attendees won the top prizes: a round-trip ticket to Shandong from Sydney, provided by the Shandong Tourism Commission and two prize packages that included a three-day Beijing World Heritage Experience Tour provided by China Travel International Convention and Exhibition Co., Ltd.
After the opening ceremony, all the guests were able to enjoy the beautiful pictures of nearly 50 World Heritage sites in China. The photo exhibition lasted for two days at University of New South Wales. Students, staff and locals alike all came to view the photo gallery. It was truly a lovely way to experience and further understand the unique charm of China’s World Heritage Sites.
