Country for PR: China
Contributor: Xinhua News Agency
Monday, November 30 2020 - 22:57
AsiaNet
A dialogue between two industrial cities: Wuppertal Photo Exhibition launched in China's Dongguan to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Friedrich Engels
DONGGUAN, China, Nov. 30, 2020 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

The 2020 Dongguan Citizen Photography Week with the theme of "City - Quality", 
held by the Information Office of Dongguan Municipality, has kicked off in 
Dongguan, China, with Friedrich Engels' Hometown Wuppertal Photo Exhibition 
being one of the activities. The Exhibition works as a "window" for the 
citizens of Dongguan to learn about the sister city of Wuppertal and show the 
friendship, and a way to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of the great 
philosopher Engels. It is also a great way to further strengthen exchanges and 
promote mutual understanding between the two cities.

"Welcome to Wuppertal, the hometown of Friedrich Engels! The city is located in 
the North Rhine-Westphalia state, western Germany, neighboring to Dusseldorf 
and Cologne. In 2015, Dongguan and Wuppertal became sister cities and they have 
carried out exchanges and cooperation in various fields including economy, 
culture, science and technology. How amazing is this city? Please take a ride 
on the unique 100-year-old suspension train (Schwebebahn) and enjoy a cultural 
journey through time and space", as shown on the photo exhibition.

Against the backdrop of the sudden onslaught of COVID-19 this year, the 
Exhibition surpasses space to strengthen cultural exchanges between China and 
Germany. Photos are becoming the vivid media for the two nations to share 
histories and enhance dialogues among civilizations.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU 
diplomatic relations and the 200th anniversary of Engels' birth. Wuppertal, his 
hometown, has designated this year as the Year of Engels. Dongguan, together 
with its sister city Wuppertal, hold the Exhibition, in ways to strengthen 
civilization exchanges in a more open and inclusive manner, inspiring people in 
terms of the fight against COVID-19 and economic recovery.

The opening ceremony day of the Exhibition, namely November 28, marks the 
bicentenary of the birth of Engels. Dr. Johannes Slawig, Chief Executive of 
Wuppertal said in the blessing video, that the Exhibition helps maintain the 
two cities' communication at present, offering opportunities for Dongguan 
citizens to discover Wuppertal. The photo exhibitions held in both 2019 and 
this year symbol our friendship which can overcome all barriers. Meanwhile, 
Dr.Bluma, curator of the Engels museum also sent his best wishes through video, 
welcoming the locals to pay a visit to the museum. 

Wuppertal is an important industrial city in Germany and shares many 
similarities with Dongguan in terms of industrial development. Since the two 
sides become sister cities in 2015, they have strengthened connections through 
the exchange of civil servants, inviting people from Wuppertal to attend summer 
camps in Dongguan, and exchange visits of delegations in trade, economy and 
environmental protection. In December last year, the Photo Exhibition of 
Dongguan, with the theme of "Connecting with the World through Manufacturing - 
Diversified Urban Culture" went to Paris, France, and Wuppertal, Germany, 
telling the world how Dongguan pursues quality development and embraces the 
world. 

The Dongguan Citizens Photography Week has been held for 5 consecutive times, 
each attracting nearly 200,000 citizens to attend. It has become an annual 
cultural feast in Dongguan. In this year's event, Dongguan also launched its 
brand new bilingual city album "Quality Dongguan", which will be released and 
sold nationwide, in order to make readers at home and abroad to know more about 
Dongguan.

Source: The Information Office of Dongguan Municipality