Global poetry and prose competition awards ceremony held in E. China to commemorate Laozi

The awards ceremony of global poetry and prose competition was held on March 2 in Guoyang county of Bozhou city, east China's Anhui province, the birthplace of Chinese sage Laozi.

Laozi, who was born in 571 B.C., is one of the most prominent ancient Chinese philosophers, thinkers, writers and historians. He is the founder of Taoism and the author of Tao Te Ching.

As a part of a series of memorial events for Laozi, marking his 2594th birth anniversary, the event included sections such as the awards ceremony, art performance, a forum and a field trip.

Zheng Qin, an official of Guoyang county government, addressed at the awards ceremony that more poets, writers and friends are welcome to come to Guoyang and display the beauty of Guoyang's nature, history, people through works.

"Laozi's words of wisdom are well-remembered, providing inspiration and guidance to modern-day Chinese. Today's journey to Guoyang, Laozi's hometown, has brought me new inspirations," said Ye Dan, first prize winner of the poetry competition.

A total of over 6,000 poems and more than 300 proses had been submitted to the competition. After rounds of evaluation by professional judges, 28 pieces of work in each category were awarded prizes.

This competition has set a good example of Guoyang's exploration of Laozi culture, as it has accelerated the development of Laozi culture, expanded the brand awareness of Laozi culture and enhanced Guoyang's cultural soft power, said Chen Xianfa, a famous Chinese poet.