The opening ceremony of a small-scale Turkish culture and food festival was held in Pudong New Area last Saturday during Qingming Festival, with over 1,000 Chinese and foreign attendees indulging on Turkish cuisine, arts and entertainment.

Hosted by the Pacific Business and Culture Consultancy (PBCC), more than 20 vendor stands, each with native Turk presenters speaking fluent Chinese, enticed visitors to try various Turkish treats like manti (ravioli) served with yoghurt and sauce and sarma (wrapped rice and meat with grape leaves). Desserts like the well-known baklava, a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and held together with syrup, also had guests queuing up.

While attendees munched on snacks, arts and entertainment like ebru, a traditional paper marbling, and Ottoman calligraphy were exhibited by their masters while performances featuring Turkish traditional instruments ney and baglama took the stage.

Feng Zhengzhou, chairman of the Shanghai Export Enterprise Association, and Shanghai writer Chen Danyan attended the opening ceremony. Chen delivered the introductory speech, mentioning her trip to Turkey in 2015 and introducing different handicrafts from Anatolia. "Instead of merely visiting Turkey's popular destinations like Cappadocia and Pamukkale, you should try to understand different cultures and backgrounds from this region," she suggested to the audience.

"The opening ceremony was carefully designed to show Turkish people's as well as the PBCC's enthusiasm for engaging and serving Chinese people and relations between the two states," associate professor Zhang Quanyi from Zhejiang Wanli University told the Global Times.

Zhang added that the PBCC could be qualified in playing a bridging role between the two states, especially in China's One Belt and One Road initiative, and that the PBCC would be playing a proactive role in promoting both Chinese trade and investment and also Chinese culture.

Mutual understanding

"I was very impressed by the Opening Bazaar, I love the foods and stands. I also bought a Turkish calligraphy sign," said attendee Miri Beck, an associate professor at Shanghai International Studies University, who is from Israel. "Our countries Turkey and Israel should be friends again as we were before."

According to PBCC chief executive Mujdat Yelbay, PBCC was founded by the direct investment of Turkish Chinese Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TUCSIAD), the only NGO recognized by the Chinese government between China and Turkey. It aims to serve as a platform to enhance both countries' and people's relationship.

"In addition to our consultancy services, PBCC will also hold business meetings, forums, talks and cultural activities which will increase understanding about each other and bring better business and mutual understanding," Yelbay told the Global Times.

"TUCSIAD was established in 2006 and in order to give a new impetus to Turkish-Chinese relations we have held many different business forums both in China and Turkey, and also organized various projects to recover and maintain both countries' long-term cultural relations from the ancient Silk Road," said Cumhur Simsek, Shanghai chief representative of TUCSIAD, who was appointed as one of 16 foreign mediators for the Shanghai Mediation Center this year by CCPIT (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade).

Simsek said that the "100 Chinese Intellectuals" project, which aims to provide opportunities for well-known intellectuals to visit Turkey, will help China form a truer and better image of Turkey.

"As 2013 was Turkey Year in China, we held the biggest Turkish Food and Culture Festival ever with almost 40,000 visitors. By opening the PBCC today, we are hoping to create a new environment and new opportunities for future activities which brings together businessmen and intellectuals from both countries," Simsek told the Global Times.

The article was written by Furkan Erdogan



 

(From top) Traditional paper marbling,Turkish tea, coffee and ice cream are offered to visitors at the opening ceremony.

 

Musicians perform with Turkish traditional instruments.

Photos: Courtesy of PBCC

 
Newspaper headline: Kültür festivali!