A conference to promote the construction of a Tang poetry tourism belt takes place in Xinchang county, Zhejiang province, Nov 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A conference to promote the construction of a tourism belt featuring Tang poetry took place in Xinchang county, Zhejiang province, Nov 22.

The tourism belt, named The Way of Tang Poetry in Zhejiang, was first proposed by Chinese scholar Zhu Yuebing in 1991. It refers to a route connecting regions in eastern Zhejiang whose beautiful landscapes used to inspire many poets during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to write about those places.

The tourism belt, combining culture and tourism, is considered another cultural road with Chinese characteristics, similar to the Silk Road and the Ancient Tea Horse Road. It forms a significant part of the government's plan to promote Zhejiang as a poetic and beautiful place.

Dozens of government officials, experts and scholars attended the conference to give suggestions about the construction of the tourism belt.

Ge Xuebin, deputy head of Zhejiang Municipal Publicity Department, emphasized making The Way of Tang Poetry a regional brand, turning it from a cultural symbol into a driving force for regional development.

Xue Tianwei, specially appointed professor at Renmin University of China, mentioned the importance of  the project, as many countries in the world and respect Tang poetry.  

Some 30 experts and scholars also summarized domestic and overseas research concerning The Way of Tang Poetry, and emphasized strengthening academic research on the poetry to accelerate the transfer and application of the results of the research to the development of the local economy.

Experts and scholars give suggestions on the development of The Way of Tang Poetry tourism belt at a conference in Xinchang county, Zhejiang province, Nov 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Participants at a conference to promote the construction of a Tang poetry-featured tourism belt held in Xinchang county, Zhejiang province, Nov 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]