As part of the activities scheduled for the celebrations of the 476th anniversary of Mérida, the inauguration of the IV edition of the Festival of the Week of China in Mérida was held, an event led by mayor María Fritz Sierra at the Olimpo Cultural Center.
The event reinforces the city’s ties with the Asian nation, since in the last two years, Merida and China have held an important cultural exchange for the benefit of both countries.
During her message, Fritz recalled that two years ago, within the framework of the city’s 474th anniversary, the City of Mérida and the Chinese province of Chengdú signed an agreement that makes them “sister cities”.
“This exchange will open the way to other agreements of a commercial and tourist nature, today’s Merida must be understood as an amalgam of cultures and traditions that make it a cosmopolitan city and where every street and every house breathes an atmosphere of diversity and pride for who we are” the mayor said.
Mérida mayor María Fritz Sierra presided the Week of China inauguration ceremony (Photo: La Jornada Maya)
The Mérida mayor also pointed out that Merida’s relationship with China dates back a century when the first immigrants of the Asian nation settled in the Yucatecan capital and now their descendants and others who came in recent years have been integrated into our society and economic activity, being an example of family unity, entrepreneurship and hard work, as well as contributing to the creation of jobs.
Fritz Sierra, thanked the participation and support of the Península de Yucatan China Association for making possible this week of cultural activities, which takes place from the 15th to the 21st of this month.
Thanks to these ties of brotherhood, China has invested resources to promote the Week of China in Merida, which have included shows in theaters and popular neighborhoods of the city, with high quality performances and their participation in the Merida Fest.
Week of China in Merida
After the inaugural ribbon cutting, the mayor and guests toured the Chinese exhibition at Centro Cultural Olimpo, where the tea ceremony and exhibitions of origami, calligraphy, gastronomy, musical instruments and art can be observed.
Víctor Hugo Lozano Poveda, Mérida’s coordinator of Community Policy, reported that the program of activities of the Festival of the Week of China in Merida, includes the exhibitions installed in the central courtyard of the Centro Cultural Olimpo, that is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, until January 18.
The tea ceremony during the Week of China in Mérida (Photo: La Jornada Maya)
The dance of the dragon and the lion, emblematic of China, will be presented on Friday the 19th at 5 pm in the Plaza Grande. That same day, at 8:30 p.m., Chinese artists will perform along Calle 60, from the atrium of the Cathedral to the Santa Lucía Park.
On Sunday, the show will be on the Bici Ruta, on Paseo de Montejo as part of the “Mérida en Domingo” event.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by Bai Yi¸ President of the Península de Yucatan China Association, Mexico.
Source: https://www.lajornadamaya.mx/
