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December 31, 2010

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HomeCity specialsHangzhou

Hicenter will provide city with high profile

The warm hue of the sunset covers residents in a small street of Hangzhou like a blanket. Their faces are hidden behind the lamppost, but their happiness is easy to read from the photo by Laura Imkamp from Germany.

A frequent visitor to the city, Imkamp's photos capturing such beautiful scenes, exciting happenings and happy moments in Hangzhou were on display for the opening ceremony of the new Hangzhou International Information Exchange Center (HiCenter) yesterday.

In the opposite hall, photos by Hangzhou citizen Xuan Jianing taken in more than 100 cities around the world, were exhibited.

The two exhibitions visualize and explain the function of the center, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting a thriving and dynamic Hangzhou to the outside world. The venue drew its curtain yesterday morning, accompanied by the opening of the Hangzhou Citizens' Photo Festival.

"The HiCenter will become an important window of international publicity for the city of Hangzhou. It will cover tasks including reception of overseas media, holding press conferences, providing promotional materials and hosting cultural exchange activities," said Weng Weijun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee and minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee.

Of history and culture

The center nestles in west Hangzhou, inside the Museum of the West Lake Exposition at 40 Beishan Road.

Beishan Road is a serene street whose history dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

It is dotted with an array of cultural heritage sites and former residences of celebrated people including Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai-shek's son, and Huang Binhong, a famed Chinese painter.

The museum, a Western-style yellow building first built in 1929, offers a perfect view of the enchanting scenes of the Baoshi Mountain, the Baoshu Pagoda and the West Lake.

The building features a mixture of primitive bricks and wood with modern steel and glass. It takes visitors on a journey through time to experience the splendor of the 1929 West Lake Expo by displaying some exhibits of the Expo.

It also showcases the history of China's participation in world expositions and the West Lake Expo's present with numerous pictures and detailed descriptions.

At the museum, visitors can learn about Hangzhou silk merchant Xu Rongcun, who was the first Chinese person to take part in the 1851 Great Exhibition in Britain (the world's first World Expo) and won medals for his Yungkee Huzhou Silk.

"The location (of the HiCenter) displays a well-balanced and unique integration of the past and the present, just like how the city of Hangzhou is," said Miao Guoqin, Party secretary of the Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group, publisher of Shanghai Daily.

"It is a city embedded with a long history and rich culture. It is also a vividly open city that is comfortable to live in," she added.

The center provides plenty of updated information about Hangzhou, which is also available at www.hicenter.cn, the Hangzhou English portal site launched in April.

The website offers a wealth of information about Hangzhou including transport guides, basic facts, latest news and entertainment, services and education listings. The contents are updated regularly by Shanghai Daily.

Along with the opening of the center, the English hotline for the city, 96345, was also made available. The center will also feature a book cafe filled with English books about the city.

The Information Office of Hangzhou Municipal Government and the office of the West Lake Expo take charge of the operation of the center, with Shanghai Daily as a partner.

"The opening of HiCenter meets the demand for information about Hangzhou and it will become an important platform for cultural exchange between the city and the outside world," concluded Lu Jianchu, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and director of the province's Information Office.


 

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