International media representatives attending the Global South Media Partnership Mechanism Inauguration Meeting and the 13th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) stepped back in time to ancient China during a grand welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening. The event took place at Yongning Gate, the grand south gate of Xi'an's ancient city wall.
Titled "Dream of Chang'an – The Grand Tang Welcoming Ceremony," the show featured performers in traditional Tang Dynasty (618-907) costumes. It was an immersive performance that vividly recreated the imperial rituals used to receive distinguished guests in Chang'an, Xi'an's ancient name as the capital city of Tang Dynasty.
Many international guests were deeply impressed. "The performance was amazing. It's actually a warm welcoming to the palace. We felt like the king, the emperor was here alone to welcome us and that was actually very impressive. We love the costume, the presence and the performance of everybody," said Linda Bauma, advisor to the DRC's Minister of Communication.
Juan Carlos Isaza, managing director of the Latin American Information Alliance, was shocked by Xi'an's size and beauty. "It's beautiful, it's amazing. I didn't know that the city was this big. The performance that we just saw is incredible. The colors, the makeup, the dresses, I feel like I was thousand years ago in China. It was really beautiful," he noted.
The cultural event set a perfect tone for the two ongoing meetings in Xi'an, the historic starting point of the Silk Road. The aim of the meetings is to build consensus and boost media cooperation among Global South nations, echoing the ancient capital's legacy of cross-cultural exchanges.
The Global South Media Partnership Mechanism aims to strengthen media cooperation across the Global South by promoting content sharing, professional training, joint productions, and academic dialogue. Launched by CCTV+ in 2011, the annual VMF event focuses on the latest video communication trends and serves as a specialized interactive platform for media professionals worldwide.