A ceremony yesterday morning in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province, marked the 1,400th anniversary Japan’s sending envoys to that city during the Sui Dynasty.
Known previously as Chang'an, Xi'an was the capital of the Sui Dynasty and the ensuing Tang Dynasty.
More than 2,000 people, including about 600 Japanese headed by former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama, attended the event. A 15-meter-long and 12-meter-high boat replica of those the Japanese envoys sailed on was unveiled.
The boat was constructed by Zhejiang Province's ancient boat master builder Cen Guohe for more than 1 million yuan. Its widest part is 5.2 meters, and is called the Boat for Envoys to the Sui Dynasty.
Chinese and Japanese visitors boarding the replica were accompanied by the release of 1,400 birds of peace.
The Shaanxi Provincial Foreign Affairs Office chief is named Zhang Baowen. He said the gesture signified permanent friendship between the two peoples and the start of the new voyage in Sino-Japanese relations this year. 2007 marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations.
The boat is on display in the Tang Dynasty West Market Museum as a witness to friendly exchanges between the two countries, Zhang added.
The Tang Dynasty West Market was the world's largest market and the world's most prosperous international trade hub during the period.
More than 4,000 foreign envoys including those from Japan stayed in Chang'an. Many of them lived there for more than 40 years.
To revisit the former glory of the Tang Dynasty, a company in Xi'an is investing 3.5 billion yuan ($467 million) to build a new Tang Dynasty West Market.
Questions:
1.How many years ago did Japan send the celebrated envoys?
2.What is the name of Zhejiang Province's ancient boat master builder?
3.How many foreign envoys, including those from Japan, stayed in Chang'an?
Answers:
1.1,400 years.
2.Cen Guohe.
3.4,000.
（英語點津 Celene 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Jonathan Stewart is a media and journalism expert from the United States with four years of experience as a writer and instructor. He accepted a foreign expert position with chinadaily.com.cn in June 2007 following the completion of his Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
