ISTANBUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish-Chinese letter-writing contest concluded Wednesday in Türkiye's largest city Istanbul.
Organized by the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association, the "Letters of the Silk Road" contest invited language students from China and Türkiye to write letters in each other's languages.
"We organized the contest in order to raise awareness of the Silk Road and to create lasting friendships between Turkish and Chinese students," said Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association President Irfan Karsli in an online ceremony to mark the conclusion of the contest.
One of the winning letters talked about the connection between Turkish and Chinese ceramic art, including the birth of Türkiye's famed ceramic work in the 15th century after Chinese porcelain made its way to the Ottoman Court.
"I was moved by Turkish university students' desire to learn Chinese and understand China and its culture, and felt the eagerness of Chinese university students who want to deepen Chinese-Turkish cultural exchange," said China's acting Consul General Wu Jian in the ceremony, adding that greater intellectual exchange and deeper understanding and friendship between the two countries will contribute to the development of China's Belt and Road Initiative. ■
