Martin Li
SHENZHEN should be a place for the avant-garde to gather to further confirm its personality of youth, Constantin Cakioussis, consul general of Greece in Guangzhou, said in an interview with Shenzhen Daily in his Guangzhou office on Thursday.
A city is like a personality. The more appealing it is, the more attention it will receive, Cakioussis said when talking about Shenzhen s continuing efforts to raise its international profile.
Shenzhen is already a museum of modern architecture and place for shopping, but it still needs to further promote its culture, tradition and history as a fishing village, said Cakioussis.
Culture is a different way of saying the same things. It needs explanation, he said.
Shenzhen could draw inspiration from traditional Chinese culture. It should use new ways to promote the original idea, the consul general said.
Most Greek people know nothing of modern Chinese culture, he said.
Cakioussis said he hoped to see more architecture reflect a combination of Chinese and Western culture.
He suggested more international cultural products, like classical music, be introduced and staged in Shenzhen, which would also better promote the city internationally.
Tourism could also play an important role in promoting the city, Cakioussis said.
Tourism is a two-way street and doesn t only mean traveling. Tourists go to your place and take back their memories. It s not a dead end in which you went, left your money and then left, Cakioussis said.
He called for more cooperation between Shenzhen and Greece in developing tourism as Greece had experience and expertise in the industry.
In addition, Shenzhen companies could take advantage of the economic restructuring in Greece and invest in fields such as design, logistics and tourism.
