International media representatives who attended the inaugural meeting Global South Media Partnership Mechanism and the 13th year Global Video Media Forum (VMF), were transported to ancient China during the welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening. The event was held at Yongning Gate, the great southern gate of the ancient city walls of Xi'an.
A performance called „Dream of Chang'an - The Grand Tang Welcoming Ceremony“ offered a performance in traditional costumes from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), an immersive performance that brought to life the imperial rituals used to welcome important guests to Chang'an, the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty.
Many international guests were deeply impressed. Linda Bauma, Advisor to the Minister of Communication of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said: „The performance was amazing. We felt like we were the only guests being received by the Emperor himself - it was really impressive. We loved the costumes, the atmosphere and the performance of all the performers.“
Juan Carlos Isaza, CEO of the Latin American Information Alliance, was impressed by the size and beauty of Xi'an: „It's wonderful, amazing. I didn't know the city was so big. The show was incredible - the colors, the makeup, the clothes - I felt like I was in China a thousand years ago. It was really beautiful.“
The cultural event set the ideal tone for the ongoing meeting in Xi'an, the historic starting point of the Silk Road. These events aim to build consensus and strengthen media cooperation among the countries of the Global South, building on the ancient capital's legacy of cross-cultural exchanges.
Global South Media Partnership Mechanism seeks to strengthen media cooperation within the Global South through content sharing, training, joint productions and academic dialogue. Founded by CCTV+ in 2011, the annual VMF focuses on the latest trends in video communication and serves as a dedicated interactive platform for media professionals from around the world.