The 89th Universal Esperanto Congress will be held in Beijing from July 24 to 31, announced Guo Xiaoyong, vice director of the China International Publishing Group and secretary-general of the Preparatory Committee of the 89th Universal Esperanto Congress, at a press conference on January 12. It is the second time for Beijing to hold such grand assembly since it hosted the 71st congress in 1986.
The congress is a grand gathering of Esperantists from all over the world. Since the fourth conference held in 1908, it has gained support from the governments of host countries.
The Chinese government and state leaders attach great attention and support to the promotion and application of Esperanto in China. Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) will be the senior protector of this year's congress. Vice Chairman of NPC Xu Jialu serves as the honorary chairman of the preparatory committee. Zhao Qizheng, minister of the State Council Information Office serves as director of the preparatory committee.
Organized by the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA), the congress was sponsored by Esperanto leagues in host countries. The 89th congress to be held in Beijing will be sponsored by China Esperanto League attached to the China International Publishing Group.
Founded in 1951, China Esperanto League joined the UEA in 1980. In 1986, the league sponsored the 71st congress in Beijing, and 2,482 Esperantists from nearly 60 countries took part in the conference. It was the largest international conference that China had held at that time.
The seven-day long congress this year will cover more than 100 agendas, including various work conferences, celebration activities, performances as well as recreational activities such as sightseeing. With abundant content, the congress will become a stage for various cultural exchanges and will also provide opportunities for the host country to display the excitement of its ethnic culture. During the congress period, besides the opening and closing ceremonies, other activities will be held simultaneously or alternately. Participants can select to take part in various activities according to their interests.
Esperanto is an international language created by Polish ophthalmologist Dr. Lejzer Ludwik Zamenhof in 1887. Based on Indo-European languages, it intended to remove language barriers in international exchange and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between different peoples of the world.
In the early 1900s, Chinese students studying in Japan and Europe introduced Esperanto into China. With the support of eminent men of letters including Cai Yuanpei, Lu Xun, Hu Yuzhi, Ba Jin and Chen Duxiu, Esperanto gradually spread across the country, making contributions to Chinese cultural and the national liberation movement.
El Popola Cinio (China Report), a magazine that sets out to develop Esperanto, promote friendship and introduce China, was initiated in 1950. In 1951, the China Esperanto League was established with Hu Yuzhi as its president. In 1963, Chen Yi, the then vice premier, attended the first national symposium on Esperanto Work. In December 1982, such celebrities as Chu Tunan, Hu Yuzhi, Ba Jin, Xie Bingxin, Ye Shengtao and Xia Yan initiated and set up the Friends of Esperanto in China that comprised more than 130 celebrities and government officials.
Today, the China International Publication Group, China.org.cn, the China Report Press and China Radio International all continue to introduce China to the world through Esperanto.
(China.org.cn January 12, 2004)
