The 2026 "Centennial Lilac Poetry Festival" series of cultural events kicked off in Beijing on Thursday, bringing together poets and poetry enthusiasts at home and abroad to experience the charm of Chinese culture and foster cultural exchanges.

The opening ceremony of the festival featured a poetic music performance that blended classical sensibilities with contemporary aesthetics. Young students, delivery workers, bank employees and poetry lovers from across professions took the stage to share their discoveries and inspirations. International participants, including students from nine other countries and foreign journalists based in China, also joined the performance, recounting their personal connections to Chinese poetry and culture.

"Exploring Chinese poetry is enormously important for us foreigners. It helps us understand China's culture and history," said Ameen Muneer Mohammed Al-Obaidi, who is called by his Chinese name Fang Haoming, an Iraqi journalist in China.

The Lilac Poetry Festival traces its origins to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and flourished in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). A landmark moment came in April 1924, when Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Fayuan Temple in Beijing with renowned Chinese poet Xu Zhimo and Chinese luminary Lin Huiyin to admire lilacs and discuss poetry -- an event that became a much-told tale in the history of cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

This year's festival is co‑hosted by the China Media Group (CMG) and Beijing's Xicheng District government. More than ten special events, including poetry salons and recitals, will be held during the festival.

"This year's festival emphasizes immersive experiences and wide participation. Through cross‑disciplinary dialogues among poets, scholars and young creators, the festival deeply integrates poetry culture with ideological and political education and urban civilization construction, so as to promote poetry as artistic, youthful and contemporary," said Xu Jian, deputy director of the Xicheng District Publicity Department.