Young poets, writers and scholars from China and Arab countries have gathered in South China's Guangzhou, Guangdong province, for a poetry festival aimed at deepening literary dialogue and people-to-people exchanges.

A China-Arab States special session of the 2026 International Youth Poetry Festival began over the weekend in the southern metropolis, drawing more than 40 young poets, Sinologists and writers from 13 Arab countries, including Morocco, Syria and Egypt, alongside more than 40 young Chinese poets.

The event will run through Sunday. In the coming days, Chinese and Arab poets will take part in a series of cultural exchange activities in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, both in Guangdong province, and Beijing, including poetry readings, academic dialogues, poetry seminars, and field visits.

"Though separated by thousands of miles and different languages, the two great poetic traditions of China and the Arab world have become both the root and soul of their civilizations, with condensed language, profound wisdom, and sincere emotion," says Zhang Hongsen, chairman of the China Writers Association.