Chinese delight in Turkish Culture and Food Festival

The Turquoise Turkish Culture and Food Festival kicked off in Shanghai on Sunday as part of 2013 Year of Turkish Culture activities, providing Chinese people with the opportunity to find out more about Turkey.

The first day of the event, held at the Shanghai Mart, saw a large attendance comprising both locals and Turks living in China, despite the rainy weather.

The three-day-long event in Shanghai, the financial and commercial center of China with a population of 23 million, covers a 7,000-square-meter covered and 3,000-square-meter open area.

Various booths were set up to promote the provinces of Şanlıurfa, Bursa, Denizli, İzmir, Konya, İstanbul and Ankara.

The event kicked off with a concert by an Ottoman military band. This was followed by Turkish folk dances, an Ottoman fashion show and a performance by whirling dervishes.

Many elements of Turkish culture, including döner kebab, Urfa kebab, Maraş ice cream, marbling art, calligraphy, folk dances, historic heroes of the Aegean region known as Efeler and whirling dervishes from Konya, were displayed at the festival.

Meanwhile, Sultan Kösen from Turkey's Mardin province, who is officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest man alive, also joined the Turkish delegation visiting Shanghai for the festival. Kösen, who is 2.51 meters tall, was the focus of great attention, with many Chinese people eager to take a photograph with him.

A Chinese visitor named Sun told the Turkish media that she really enjoyed Turkish ice cream, while Wang, another visitor, said he admired every aspect of the organization of the festival and found the döner kebab, which he tasted for the first time in his life, very delicious.

Shanghai Chamber of Manufacturers and Importers Chairman Feng Zheng Zhou, speaking at the opening ceremony of the festival, was applauded when he said: “Blue sky, blue sea and Blue Mosque… There is no country in the world more beautiful than Turkey.”

Murat Sungurlu, the chairman of the Turkish-Chinese Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜÇSİAD), was also in attendance. In his speech he said he wishes for the event to be held for several more years and hopes that it improves commercial and friendly ties between the two countries.

Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Salih Bezci and Society for Social and Economic Solidarity with Pacific Countries (PASIAD) representative Ferhan Merter also delivered speeches at the festival.

Turkish Consul General in Shanghai Deniz Eke, speaking at the event, said Chinese businessmen now have the opportunity to know Turkey a little better, helping to improve commercial relationships between the two countries.

Published on Today's Zaman, 7 October 2013, Monday