Zoucheng in Shandong province is set to host the 2019 Zoucheng Mother's Cultural Festival from May 4 to 7. [Photo/whshandong.com]

The 2019 Zoucheng Mother's Cultural Festival is set to take place in the namesake city of Shandong province from May 4 to 7, according to a news conference held on April 18 in Jinan.

The festival features seven thematic activities, including an opening ceremony and a commemorative ceremony for Mencius and his mother, as well as other related activities, such as a Mencius' mother-themed cultural creative products competition and an exhibition of intangible cultural heritages.

The festival this year will launch a brand new activity "Touring Zoucheng with Moms". All the scenic spots in the city that normally charge are expected to be free to female tourists from May 7 to 13 as a gift to mothers on Chinese Mother's Day.

Mencius, besides his renown as a thinker, is noted for his mother, a model of motherhood in China endorsed by time-honored and favored tales.

Chinese Mother's Day, celebrated on Mencius' birthday (the second day of the fourth lunar month), was first advocated by Chinese and foreign experts gathered in Zoucheng on December 13th, 2006.

The festival is meant to symbolize an important instrument for the inheritance of traditional virtues and values and express gratitude for maternal love in a Chinese way.