In the southwest border of Hungary locates the Pécs city, known as the fifth largest one in the country and with a population less than that of an ordinary small town in China. Due to its special position in the world as well as the strict selecting criterion of the European Cultural City according to the EU Accreditation Committee, Pécs eventually becomes the star city of the world in 2010.

  It is difficult to define the feature of the city Pécs or to reveal its historical splendor according to records. It has a long history entitled the Museum City, the City of Artists, the Multi-cultural City, and so forth, as is fairly a unique phenomenon even in the world, let alone in Europe.

  From the world's historical and cultural heritage of the Underground Tombs of Christians constructed in the mid-fourth century, to the Pécs University, one of the five oldest universities in European history, built and settled here; from the world admirable medieval-epoch murals painted by Csontváry, known as the Hungarian Van Gogh, to the tint-glazed pottery Decorative Well donated by the ceramist Ronai to the city in 1892; from the first church established by the King St. István in 1009, to the mosque built by the Turks in 1543, and the new Rome Cathedral re-established later on this basis in 1891, etc., a variety of humanistic arts of wisdom converged in this inconspicuously small dot on the world map.

  The inner metropolitan temperament determines its external charm. Because this city, with a history more than 2000 years, has a close association with the Arabic numeral "5", the city has been always accompanied with the "5". Early in the 20th century, the name of this city was interpreted as "Five Towers." The "Tower" symbolizes the culmination, that is, never identical with others, representative and fashionable.

  In the "European Cultural City" campaign manifesto, it embodies the signification of five kinds of the historic relics in the city:

1: the Roman culture in the Early Christianity era
2: the medieval culture
3: the culture of classicalism
4: the composite culture of classicalism and romanticism in the second half of the 19th century
5: modern culture in the 20th century

And it covers five categories of today's European cultural space:

1: the important Germanic culture in Europe
2: the Balkan culture of the Slav
3: the genetic multilingual culture of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
4: the Latin culture on the Mediterranean coast
5: the early socialistic culture in central and eastern Europe

The five great fascinating heritages unfolded to the world:

1: the early world cultural relic, "Christian Tombs"
2: the stone statue of the dome church in the center of city
3: the modernly designed Central Plaza
4: the typical site of the middle-class housing
5: the art branches of the Modernistic painting, music, poetry, pottery, and so forth

  So the city is unique in Europe and even the world, saturated with pride of a variety of cultural elements.

  It is a city embraced by nature, covered by thrifty forest of the mountain Macek. Unlike other cities, it performs the modern city function in its own unique way, and its ecological and environmental protection is maintained at optimum condition.

  It is an open city full of vitality, supplying people with satisfactory living space and maximum free atmosphere.

  Along with innovation since 2000 years ago, the youthful city, in the maintenance of a variety of tangible and intangible cultural or non-material cultural heritage, and inclusive of multiple cultures on the basis of cultural integration of the Germanic people, Slavs, and gypsy, has become a multicultural center.

  It is a decentralized metropolis with the administrative division and ethnic minority’s autonomy sharing the same importance.

  As the sole gate of culture opening to those countries of the Balkan region permitted to access to the EU, it shoulders the important task of the cultural output and feedback.

  It is also a city with traces of the socialistic culture heritage under the special protection by the European Union.

  Therefore, the Pécs city deserves the laurel of the European Cultural City. All joyous walks of life in the City have already started the cultural feast for the world according to the menu of the year 2010. A large number of international cultural projects have been attracting fans of different countries, such as, the 2-week Chorus Festival attended by more than 20,000 actors, the 15th world Adult Puppet Festival, and numerous international arts festivals, as well as the symphony, ballet, world tour theater, jazz, pop music, ethnic, painting, films, etc. filling the stage throughout the year.

  Owing to the heritage from history and the impact of modern civilization, the various unique exchanging meetings held by the city will certainly win the recognition of the EU. Pécs, the selected host by the European city culture, will expect and welcome guests all the way.

                                                                                 In Budapest,
                                                                                November 2009

Editor's Note: Zhang Guozhi, Board Chairman of the Hungary Foundation of Culture without National Boundary and also Chairman of the Hungarian Council for Promotion of China's Peaceful Reunification, is now residing in Hungary. He had been a music conductor in China, and a student in Austria before he came to Hungary, where he devoted himself in cultural exchange between China and Hungary. He has organized for several years a series of shows in Hungary performed by such Chinese choruses as Black Duck and Chinese Juvenile as well as the Performance Group of Shaolin Kung Fu Monks. The Foundation joined in the Shanghai Baoshan International Folk Arts Festivals in 2004 when Dunaújváros Art Ensemble from Hungary participated in the 4th festival thanks to the introduction by Zhang, and won high praises from the local people. In August 2009, Zhang brought in Baoshan the Hungary Youth Military Music Dance Troupe, which gave an exhilarating performance, also the debut of its Chinese tour, to the local residents.