Understanding publishing agreements

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China's 6th national poetry festival opened in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Sunday, becoming the first national-level cultural festival to be held offline since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The triennial event, launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the China Writers Association, will feature dozens of activities in Chengdu and Chongqing until Saturday, including stage performances, poetry readings and academic seminars. There will also be activities promoting poetry and traditional Chinese culture at schools, shopping malls, bookstores, residential communities and villages.

"Poetry is the oldest genre of literature and is also the best way to express emotions, and a key bench mark of human civilization," Hu Heping, minister of culture and tourism, said at the opening ceremony on Sunday. "Its significance in nurturing people's sentiment and building up ethos is irreplaceable.

"We hope the festival motivates the public to enjoy the poetic life, and that more people will also be encouraged to stick to their ideals and bring us fine works with power and warmth."

Actress Zhang Kaili, who is taking part in the festival, said: "Despite the quick rhythm of modern life, poetry cannot be absent. It's the classic ancient poetry, a lasting spiritual legacy, that can nourish people's cultural taste and guide us to go afar."

In the past two decades, Zhang has helped organize over 100 poetry-reading galas across the country promoting classic works from the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, the zeniths of ancient Chinese poetry.

Nevertheless, admiration for poetry also needs to catch up with the times, festival attendees said.

"Ancient poems are composed in an outstanding format, holding the finest traditional Chinese culture," said Wang Bing, deputy editor-in-chief of Shikan, a poetry magazine. "And modern Chinese poems, which have been gradually established in the past century, can also continue to make a new contribution to literature.

"We've seen broader global horizons among Chinese poets in the new era," Wang said. "Poets from the grassroots, like factory workers, have also mushroomed, which now makes many previously lesser-seen themes visible."