African tourism with Chinese fizz

Tsingtao Beer Festival in Liberia shows BRI can boost economies via lifestyle events

MONROVIA－An ecstatic crowd filled the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium, a multi-purpose complex in Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia, capital of Liberia, of the Sunday night of Dec 22, 2019.

The gathering was not to watch a game of soccer, which is the most popular sport here. The stadium was the venue of the maiden beer festival in the West African country.

The Belt and Road Tsingtao Beer Festival, a two-day jamboree, was organized in line with the spirit of China's Belt and Road Initiative for promoting trade, sports, tourism, culture, and strengthening the mutual understanding and friendship among peoples of the world, organizers said.

The beer festival will be held in 15 countries between December 2019 and October this year.

Amid a colorful display of the arts and culture of the Liberian people during the festival which climaxed on Dec 22, a window of opportunities opened for the citizens in various fields.

In Liberia, Tsingtao beer is one of the top imported brands. The Chinese beer brand entered the West African market about a decade ago, providing opportunities, including jobs, for young people.

For Liberia as a nation, it was another opportunity to promote its art and culture for the world to see. Among other opportunities, there was a display of the various tribal marks from the country's 15 counties during the festival.

Earlier speaking on the beer festival in Liberia, Lance Gbayongon, the deputy minister of information, culture, and tourism, said the government will use the opportunity to engage with Tsingtao, brewed and bottled by Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd in China's Qingdao city, Shandong province, to establish a beer village in Liberia as a way of promoting culture and tourism.

"This festival is not just to drink, but also to promote peace and reconciliation for national unity," Gbayongon said.