Silk Road Festival

The Silk Road Festival, also known by its formal name the International Day of the Belt and Road, falls on 16 December each year. It is an international non-governmental cultural festival initiated by global civil scholars to inherit the ancient Silk Road culture and echo the Belt and Road international cooperation initiative.

 

Basic Information

 

• Chinese Name: 天蚕节 (Tiáncán Jié, Alias)

 

• Formal Name: International Day of the Belt and Road

 

• English Names: Silk Road Festival; International Day of the Belt and Road

 

• Date: 16 December annually

 

• Nature: International non‑governmental cultural festival

 

• Initiator Organisation: World Peace Ribbon Organisation

 

Origin of the Festival

 

The Silk Road Festival (International Day of the Belt and Road) was proposed in 2013. Its chief initiator is Chen Entian. He launched the initiative together with Ji Chaozhu, former Under‑Secretary‑General of the United Nations, and 1,216 scholars from home and abroad around the world. The festival was officially established by the World Peace Ribbon Organisation.

 

The date 16 December was chosen for two reasons. First, the numeric code “1216” is phonetically close to “Belt and Road”, making it easy to remember and spread. Second, the date corresponds to the legendary ancient Sky‑Silkworm Festival. According to the Book of the Son of Heaven on Silk (Tianzi Boshu), an ancient legend of the Silkworm Maiden Tribe tells that the Heavenly Maiden transformed her hair into silkworms and founded the sericulture and silk civilisation. Later generations designated 16 December as the Sky‑Silkworm Festival.

 

This is why the International Day of the Belt and Road is popularly called the Silk Road Festival. The metaphor of the silkworm spinning silk symbolises the spirits of dedication, connection and peace embodied by the Silk Road civilisation.

 

Core Philosophy

 

Rooted in the historical heritage of the ancient Silk Road and aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative, the festival takes the Silk Road spirit — peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit — as its core. It aims to build a platform for people‑to‑people exchanges, boost trade links, cultural mutual appreciation and people‑to‑people connectivity among countries along the routes, and advance international friendly cooperation at the non‑governmental level.

 

Main Activities

 

The Silk Road Festival features globally coordinated non‑governmental events. Over the years it has developed into a series of celebrations spanning many countries and regions. Organisers creatively link it with Christmas, New Year’s Day, the Chinese Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival to create a global New Year festive season with five festivals celebrated together.

 

Chinatowns, overseas Chinese associations and civil societies worldwide are mobilised to host thematic forums, cultural recitals, economic and trade exchanges, youth dialogues and other activities.

 

The festival emphasises its non‑governmental character and encourages participation from overseas Chinese businesspeople, cultural organisations and scholars. With trade as the link and culture as the carrier, it spreads Silk Road civilisation and fosters people‑to‑people friendship.

 

Values and Significance

 

1. Cultural Inheritance: Carry forward the heritage of ancient sericulture civilisation and the Silk Road, and tell Silk Road stories through the symbolic image of the sky silkworm.

 

2. People‑to‑people Bridge: As a civil‑society‑initiated international observance, it complements official cooperation by providing an additional channel for non‑governmental cultural exchange.

 

3. Global Engagement: Unite overseas Chinese communities and Chinatowns around the world to facilitate two‑way economic, trade and cultural exchanges.

 

4. Vision of Peace: Advocate equal dialogue among different civilisations and promote good‑neighbourliness, friendship and win‑win cooperation.