On February 9th, reporters learned from Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs Office that with the opening of chartered direct flight between Chengdu and Mauritius, during February 5th to February 7th, Chengdu held “Charming Chengdu” city promotion series activities in Port Louis, capital of Mauritius.

     This was the first city promotion activity of Chengdu held in overseas in 2015. The promotion included Chengdu-Mauritius maiden direct flight dinner, media briefings, Chengdu-Mauritius maiden flight reception and “Charming Chengdu” photocopy exhibition. Folk performances and intangible cultural heritage display would be used to show the charm of Chengdu to the community of Mauritius and exert a positive response there.

     The Maiden Flight Reception and Photography Exhibition held on February 6th attracted high officials,  including Mr. Bellepeau, vice president, Mr. Duval, deputy prime minister and minister of Tourism and External Communications, Mr. Baboo, minister of Arts and Culture, social celebrities, main media of Mauritius, and representatives from China. They discussed matters such AAS opening regular direct flights, developing sister cities, establishing tourism office, and carrying out cultural and arts exchanges and so on. On the reception, ink dancing, shadow puppets, tea show and folk performances by Chengdu artists and intangible cultural heritages such as paper cutting, and traditional Chinese paintings were quite popular.

     Mr. Duval highly praised the promotion activities held by Chengdu in Mauritius. He indicated that he would visit Chengdu to witness the opening of regular direct flights between Chengdu and Mauritius if he had chance. Mr. Li Li, ambassador of China to Mauritius said that the activity was the biggest Chinese city promotion activity with the most innovative forms, richest contents and greatest influences ever held in Mauritius which had been praised by all the communities and main media in Mauritius.