Vice-minister Zhang Xu (center) awards the six counterparts certificates of China's candidate cities for 2020 Culture City of East Asia, in Beijing, Aug 1. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

A final review meeting for selecting China's Culture City of East Asia for 2020 took place in Beijing on Aug 1. 

Six cities in China – Dunhuang from Gansu province, Shaoxing from Zhejiang province, Taiyuan from Shanxi province, Wenzhou from Zhejiang province, Yangzhou from Jiangsu province, and Zibo from Shandong province – participated in the event, each with dazzling cultures and futures.

In attendance at the meeting were guests from the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, members of the expert committee, and governmental representatives from the candidate cities in China, including Zhang Xu, the Chinese vice-minister of culture and tourism; and Xie Jinying, director of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

According to Xie Jinying, the Culture City of East Asia program is of great significance to promote the integration and development of urban culture and tourism and to enhance the international influence of Chinese culture. The program has been highly valued by the leadership of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Governmental representatives from six candidate cities presented the urban construction and development of their cities through speeches and videos. Each city's presenter also answered questions posed by the expert committee.