A preliminary contest on telling China's stories was launched on Aug 23 in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province.

The event is part of the "Tell China's Stories" Contest 2019. Supported by the Information Office of the State Council and hosted by the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, the contest was launched in April and is designed to share exciting stories from various Chinese cities, as well as help the world to better understand China.

The Shandong round is supported by the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government and jointly hosted by the China Internet News Center and the Institute of Contemporary China and the World Studies.

Wei Changmin, director of the Information Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government, delivered a speech at the launch ceremony.

"Shandong is an important cradle of Chinese culture and the province is the birthplace of Confucius and Confucianism," said Wei. "Over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the people of Shandong have made pioneering efforts and forged ahead, achieving transformative changes in the province."

Wei said that the event will involve people from all walks of life to share their stories, as well as to witness Shandong's remarkable development over the past 70 years.

Wei added that the event will also help to tell Shandong's stories to the world, help the world to learn more about Shandong, and increase the province's international profile.

According to the organizing committee, entries for the Shandong section contest should be videos or short videos, with themes ranging from the Chinese dream, Shandong people, Shandong culture, and Shandong cities to Shandong's villages and Shandong brands.

The Shandong round of the contest is the eighth of its kind launched in the country, following those in Hubei province, Hunan province, Chongqing municipality, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Fujian province, Sichuan province, and Yunnan province.

Wei Changmin, director of the Information Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government, delivers a speech at the launch ceremony of the Shandong section of the "Tell China's Stories" Contest 2019 on Aug 23 in Jinan, Shandong province. [Photo/china.com.cn]

Officials and representatives from the organizing committee announce the commencement of the Shandong section of the "Tell China's Stories" Contest 2019 on Aug 23 in Jinan, Shandong province. [Photo/china.com.cn]