International Conference on Travel Literature in Chinese closes at UM

The concluding session and closing ceremony of the 8th International Conference on Travel Literature in Chinese was held at the University of Macau (UM). Themed ‘The Journey of Hong Kong Travel Literature and Greater Bay Area Literature’, the three-day conference brought together writers and scholars from various countries and regions, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the US, to discuss the creation and development of Chinese travel literature. The opening ceremony, keynote address, and panel discussions were held earlier at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Wu Zhiliang, vice chairperson of the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and president of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation, said in his speech that Macao and Hong Kong, both as core cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, share significant similarities and have room for complementarity and cooperation. The two cities also play a leading role in improving the quality of hospitality of other mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area.

Xu Jie, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at UM, said that travel literature serves as a bridge between culture and tourism. It not only documents travellers’ journeys and feelings, but also conveys the essence of cultural heritage and exchange, enabling readers to transcend the boundaries of time and space and appreciate the charm of different places and cultures.