2026 International Youth Poetry Festival opens in Guangzhou

The 2026 International Youth Poetry Festival (China-Arab States Session) opened in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on Saturday, bringing together over 100 poets, writers and scholars from China and 13 Arab countries to engage in literary exchange and deepen cultural ties.

Running from May 8 to 17, the nine-day festival features a diverse lineup of cultural events. At the opening ceremony, Chinese and Arab poets presented a series of performances, including the folk music piece "In Celebration of the Good Times", an image poetry show titled "Adonis is an Osmanthus Tree", and a recitation of the classic Chinese poem "To the Oak Tree".

Beyond the ceremony, participants visited cultural landmarks such as the Guangdong Literature Museum to experience intangible cultural heritage and the unique Lingnan culture.

"Guangzhou has been a center of friendly exchanges between China and Arab countries since ancient times. It is known not only for its economic and trade activities but also for many achievements in literature and culture. It has played an important role in strengthening people-to-people ties and promoting mutual understanding and learning between different civilizations," said Xue Qingguo, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

In the coming days, the poets will travel to three cities across China. They will participate in poetry recitals, academic dialogues and other cultural exchange activities in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing. The itinerary is designed to allow participants to witness the vibrant practice and dynamic momentum of Chinese modernization firsthand.

Launched by the China Writers Association in 2024, the International Youth Poetry Festival has established itself as a dedicated platform for international literary exchange. Previous successful editions have included sessions focused on BRICS and Latin American countries.

The festival has rapidly grown into an influential venue for promoting dialogue among young international writers and facilitating exchanges between civilizations.

2026 International Youth Poetry Festival opens in Guangzhou

China's traditional building materials industry accelerated its structural optimization amid headwinds in the first quarter of this year, with green development emerging as a core growth engine.

As the traditional building materials industry steps up its green transformation, a cumulative total of 29.8 million tons of low-efficiency production capacity has been phased out, reversing the decline of capacity utilization, industry data showed.

The industry of advanced inorganic non-metallic materials, represented by photovoltaic glass, glass fiber and its products, experienced rapid growth. Demand for photovoltaic glass accounted for nearly 50 percent of total flat glass demand, and the total profit of the industry of glass fiber and its products surged by 130 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, green building materials recorded growth in both volume and profitability. By the end of the first quarter, China's certified green building materials increased by 5 percent compared with the end of 2025, and the industry's total profits grew 16.2 percent year on year.

"Ten government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have jointly issued an implementation plan for high-quality development of the green building materials industry, guiding the green transition of the sector. In the first quarter of the year, the total revenue of the green building materials industry exceeded 61.1 billion yuan (about 8.99 billion U.S. dollars), maintaining a rapid growth of 12 percent and laying a solid foundation for achieving the annual revenue target of 300 billion yuan," said Yan Xiaofeng, president of the China Building Materials Federation.

China’s traditional building materials industry speeds up green transition in Q1