TEHRAN – The 4th Silk Road International Youth Photography and Short Video Competition has opened a call for entries.

The competition is set to take place in China in close collaboration with Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs intended to promote cultural exchange among young people along the ancient route that once connected China to Iran and Europe, Mehr reported on Saturday.

According to the news agency citing the public relations of the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government in Fujian province will be hosting the competition under the theme “Bridging Cultures.” The initiative aims to enhance youth exchanges along the historical trade route.

The competition is open to teenagers and young adults aged 12 to 20. Participation is free, and each contestant is allowed to submit up to two entries. The deadline for submission is August 31. It welcomes submissions inspired by cultural heritage, traditional cuisine, historical sites, traditional clothing, folk art, maritime culture, natural environments, historical figures, and more. Entries must be original and previously unpublished.

Black-and-white photographs are accepted, and submissions should be in JPG format with a file size of less than 1MB. Each submission must include a title, the creator’s name, and contact information.

For short video submissions, the duration must not exceed three minutes. Videos should be in MP4 format with a minimum resolution of 720P. If the video is in a language other than Chinese or English, subtitles in either of these languages are required.

In addition to awards, winners may be invited to attend the prize-giving ceremony in Fuzhou, with all travel expenses covered by the organizers.

The ancient Silk Road has existed for thousands of years, passing through many different empires, kingdoms, reigns and societies throughout history. At certain times in its long history, traders could travel freely along these routes, whereas at others, travel was difficult or dangerous.

According to UNESCO, the Silk Road enriched the countries it passed through, transporting cultures, religions, languages and of course material goods into societies across Europe, Asia and Africa, and uniting them all with a common thread of cultural heritage and plural identities.

There are over 40 countries today alongside the historic Land and Maritime Silk Roads, all still bearing witness to the impact of these routes in their culture, traditions and customs.

These vast networks carried more than just merchandise and precious commodities however: the constant movement and mixing of populations also brought about the transmission of knowledge, ideas, cultures, and beliefs, which had a profound impact on the history and civilizations of the Eurasian peoples. Travelers along the Silk Roads were attracted not only by trade but also by the intellectual and cultural exchange that was taking place in cities along the Silk Roads, many of which developed into hubs of culture and learning. Science, arts, and literature, as well as crafts and technologies, were thus shared and disseminated into societies along the lengths of these routes, and in this way, languages, religions, and cultures developed and influenced each other.

AM