A customized pleasure barge from Yangzhou city was thrust to the spotlight in the city of Orléans of France, marking it the first boat from Asia to appear at the Festival de Loire, the largest inland marine festival in Europe.
The showcase of the pleasure barge at the festival is a symbol of the friendly ties between Yangzhou and Orléans.
To fully showcase oriental elements, the barge, 10 meters long, 2.2 meters wide and 2.5 meters tall, is made with the traditional techniques for making wooden boats, which is a national intangible cultural heritage.
A pleasure barge is a flat-bottomed, slow-moving boat used for leisure. It is contrasted with a standard barge, which is used to transport freight. Many places where canals or rivers play a prominent role have developed pleasure barges for conducting religious ceremonies, holding waterborne festivities, or viewing scenery.
Elements of Yangzhou gardens are carved on the window frames and the barge itself, hence the name Yangzhou.
The 1,000-kilometer Loire River is the longest in France. Yangzhou is the first city outside Europe invited to participate in the festival in order to promote China's river culture in France.
From 20th to 24th September, 2017, the quays of Orleans came alive with boats for the 8th annual festival of what is said to be the largest inland marine festival in Europe. Five days of festivities entertained the visitors on the waterfront of the mighty river Loire in the capital of Loiret.
In November 2015, Orléans and Yangzhou signed the memorandum of friendly exchange and tourism cooperation agreement, and the two cities have had 14 mutual visits in the past 1.5 years, achieving great results in tourism, economy, education and festival celebration.
