The city named 'good fortune' becomes sea of stars

The Chinese character for "good fortune" Fu is the first part of the name of Fuzhou, a historical city in Fujian province.

The character was also used in the name of a recent event there on Monday that brought together 100 artists and celebrities to explore how art and tourism could be more effectively integrated to boost the local economy.

Organized by Haixi Media, Fu Qi Zhi Ye (The Night of Good Fortune) featured performances from pop music to traditional opera. Celebrities in attendance included Hong Kong anchor-actor Wong Cho-lam, pop idol Gong Jun, former Olympic gymnastic champion Liu Xuan, and actor Huang Xiaoming.

Aside from the performances, there was an exchange during which artists shared their views with insiders from the local cultural tourism industry.

According to the organizers, the event sought to leverage star power to raise recognition of Fuzhou, promote local sights, delicacies, and customs.

Organizers said that recent examples of this include the popular song Fu, which was written for Fuzhou and performed by Zhang Jie, and Junior Camp, a reality show was shot in Fujian, both of which have demonstrated how popular art can help boost tourism.