The faint light turns into a torch, setting off and flying again and again; Generation after generation of overseas Chinese have braved the wind and waves to come; Towards the light, facing the light, chasing the light, has forged the confidence of overseas Chinese to move forward in life... Guangdong is the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road" and a node for cultural exchange and communication. The "Guangzhou Chinese Culture and Arts Festival", which began in 2005, has attracted more than 20000 representatives from the overseas Chinese community to respond and participate. It has gathered the strength of overseas Chinese and has developed into a highly anticipated cultural event and an important cultural exchange and overseas networking brand in Guangdong. With the launch of the 9th (Guangzhou) Chinese Culture and Arts Festival, the largest overseas Chinese cultural event in China in recent years, the "Affection of China · Charm of Southern Guangdong" has made Guangdong's image to "overseas Chinese" more profound and vivid, showcasing the real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China. Through cultural exchange and mutual learning, it promotes people to people integration and communication, continuously expands the "circle of friends", and showcases the beauty of Chinese civilization from the window of Guangdong. The 9th (Guangzhou) Chinese Culture and Art Festival "Towards Light" Art Exhibition, jointly organized by the Guangdong Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Guangzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, was held at the new Guangzhou Cultural Center to convey the warmth of Guangdong through the story of Guangdong. Nearly a thousand overseas Chinese and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan compatriots from more than 50 countries and regions on five continents, as well as cultural and artistic professionals and overseas Chinese gathered in Guangzhou, the hometown of overseas Chinese, to participate in the grand event and reminisce about friendship. Visual design centered around Guangzhou Tower and Guo'er House; The "Hundred Person Family Banquet" prepared with sweet hometown water and authentic hometown cuisine... Starting from the self planning stage of this art festival, the organizing committee will focus on polishing the overseas Chinese spirit with the important feature of "loving the country, loving the hometown, and loving one's own family" and the unique overseas Chinese history and culture in Lingnan as the central core. As an important hometown city for overseas Chinese in China, Guangzhou's provincial and municipal overseas Chinese federations have not only adhered to the purpose of holding conferences based on blood ties, kinship, and geography, but also taken innovative steps to create four new cultural and artistic experience contents of "1+1+2". Light illuminates a new journey, brings new hope, and gathers the strength of overseas Chinese. The theme of the literary and artistic exhibition has been chosen to be 'Towards Light', a concept full of brightness and hope The person in charge of the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Federation stated that in terms of visual design, the Guangzhou Tower is used as a metaphor for a lighthouse, emitting light. The Wo'er House, as a representative of Lingnan cultural architecture, not only represents the warm welcome of overseas Chinese to return home, but also symbolizes a bright future. Combined with the overall orange and red vitality color, it aims to express that overseas Chinese at home and abroad always uphold the spirit of patriotism and love for their hometown and walk towards the light. Every detail conveys the warmth of Guangdong. In terms of content design, the organizing committee will integrate the experience, presentation, and interpretation of "overseas Chinese" into various aspects and elements. The main activity content consists of four sections: "Towards the Light" literary performance, "Return to Lingnan" cultural experience, cultural and technological visits, and "I Have a Meeting with My Motherland" overseas Chinese story sharing session. On the first day of the art festival, the organizers carefully prepared a "hundred person family banquet", using sweet hometown water, authentic hometown cuisine, and familiar hometown dialect to help overseas Chinese who have returned from overseas sweep away their travel fatigue and feel the warmth and familiarity of "returning home". As a new landmark of Guangzhou culture, the new Guangzhou Cultural Museum has the characteristics of Lingnan culture. The "Towards the Light" artistic performance here starts from the historical period when overseas Chinese and the motherland made concerted progress. With three chapters of "gathering the light of the nation", "chasing the light of the times", and "bathing the light of civilization", it combines the Lingnan featured dance drama "Dragon Boat", the perfect combination of elegant ballet and thrilling acrobatics "Flying" and other high-level performances, advocating the interpretation and expression of the spirit of overseas Chinese while paying attention to the interaction and participation of overseas Chinese. For overseas Chinese, the kind of local accent and sentiment in their hearts cannot be erased Overseas Chinese artist and Cantonese opera master Ni Huiying, together with her son Huang Zhiyi, brought a new Cantonese opera adaptation of "The Flower Fields Don't See You", showcasing the vigorous and innovative spirit of Chinese excellent culture and Lingnan characteristic culture, as well as the dynamic inheritance. It also brought a refreshing audio-visual experience to the overseas Chinese on site... As a representative of overseas Chinese groups, Liang Guanjun, Vice President of the China Overseas Friendship Association, said, "The united and unified Chinese nation is the common root of Chinese people at home and abroad, the profound and extensive Chinese culture is the common soul of Chinese people at home and abroad, and the vast number of overseas Chinese are an important channel for transmitting the spirit and connotation of the Chinese nation and spreading excellent Chinese culture overseas. I firmly believe that no matter where overseas Chinese are, they will actively spread Chinese culture and speak well about China. Stories spread the positive energy of our motherland." Raise the light of civilization with cultural people, Can better condense the soul; Through art, it is easier to communicate with the world. Since the new era, overseas Chinese have played a special role in promoting the construction of the "the Belt and Road", promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign countries, and promoting world peace and development. We, the overseas Chinese who are spread all over the world, are like bridges connecting China and the world, with each link promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations, playing an important role in interconnectivity He Jingtang, an academician of the CAE Member, specially sent a congratulatory letter. Overseas Chinese will bring back their feelings about the new era of China, Guangdong and Guangzhou to their countries of residence, pass on them to more overseas Chinese, and spread the voice of China and overseas Chinese more widely. Using overseas Chinese as a bridge, overseas Chinese are a natural bridge and link connecting China with countries around the world. The "I Have a Date with My Motherland" Overseas Chinese Story Sharing Conference presents the spirit of "loving the country, loving the hometown, and loving our own family" in a vivid way of "telling good Chinese stories". More than 200 overseas Chinese, starting from themselves, sincerely share the story of using overseas Chinese as a bridge to inherit Chinese culture and promote cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and foreign countries through key sharing and table tea conversations. Among them, Li Zhiqiang from the Guangzhou Cultural and Economic Association in the UK specially brought back a rusty "century old iron", which witnessed the diligence and perseverance of overseas Chinese who went to the UK to make a living and explore in the early days. Li Lihua, the president of the Danzhong Cultural Exchange Association, brought back the team uniform of the Chan Wu Association. She introduced, "Since its establishment 15 years ago, we have been wearing it in squares, schools, and various occasions in Copenhagen, teaching local citizens and overseas Chinese to practice Tai Chi and lion dance. I think this is a small practice we have made for the inheritance and promotion of excellent traditional Chinese culture." "" Overseas, the motherland is a lighthouse that always illuminates our hearts! "Kang Yonghua, the president of the Los Angeles Guangzhou Friendship City Association Federation, flew back to Guangzhou from the United States to participate in the event. He said," We are proud to be descendants of the Yellow Emperor, and we will actively participate in the construction of a strong country in the future, and make our own contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation Liu Yiliang, the permanent president of the Macao Returned Overseas Chinese Association, said, "By building a bridge for communication and cooperation between our country and overseas Chinese through culture and art, and passing on Chinese culture and art to the countries where we live through overseas Chinese groups, we continuously promote deeper friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries. This art festival is not only a cultural experience and exchange, but also plays an important role in inspiration and guidance." Through the time and space of "Guangdong", Guangdong is a province with a large number of overseas Chinese, and Guangzhou is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. The rich sentiment of overseas Chinese, the magnificent scenery of overseas Chinese, and the multitude of overseas Chinese are brilliant marks on the "Overseas Chinese" business card of Guangdong and Guangzhou. During the art festival, a total of 95 promotional reports were broadcasted by 28 mainstream domestic media outlets, with a cumulative view count of approximately 4.95 million; 19 overseas media actively participated in the promotion and reporting of the art festival, with over 1.2 million views... The art festival truly achieved the goal of crossing the "Guangdong" time and space both domestically and internationally, and overseas Chinese resonated with the strongest voice in the overseas Chinese community. The art festival has put a lot of effort into "visual, auditory, and sensory" aspects. The official in charge of the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Federation stated that the innovative communication of this art festival has made communication itself a cultural event in the city, by fully utilizing the real urban space for dissemination online and offline, not just limited to the multi scene three-dimensional communication of newspapers, television networks, etc. During the art festival, the iconic Guangzhou Tower lit up for overseas Chinese for two consecutive nights; In addition, the organizers also held a cultural themed drone performance on Ersha Island, which was framed with the lights on the Guangzhou Tower. During the event, the themed promotional video "Overseas Chinese Gather in Lingnan and Walk towards the Light" was played repeatedly on outdoor screens in important commercial districts in Guangzhou, allowing more Guangzhou citizens to understand the important connection between overseas Chinese and Guangzhou, and further deepening the image of Guangdong Guangzhou as a hometown of overseas Chinese. Focusing on the spiritual and cultural core of overseas Chinese, breaking the previous content setting, and expanding the channels for attending guests, the art festival links the "red heart" of overseas Chinese hometown Guangzhou, Guangdong with the "new atmosphere" of high-quality development. Through rich and colorful cultural activities, it fully stimulates the patriotic and hometown loving family feelings of overseas Chinese, singing the song of the new era's progress, holding high the torch of Chinese spirit, praising the beauty of Lingnan culture, and promoting the light of Chinese civilization from the window of "Guangzhou and Overseas Chinese". It then gathers the magnificent power of Chinese people at home and abroad to share the Chinese Dream together, and contributes the strength of overseas Chinese to building a community with a shared future for mankind. (New Society)