A total of 99 traditional culture enthusiasts, mostly in their 20s and 30s, gathered at the television show Yellow River Culture Competition, providing a youthful interpretation of the country's "mother river", according to a symposium recently held in Beijing.

Initiated by Shandong Radio and Television Station in association with eight other provinces and regions along the banks of the Yellow River, the show adopts multiple formats to combine competitions and performances, such as folk songs and reciting poetry, to promote the history and culture of the civilizations that have thrived along the river for thousands of years.

Lyu Peng, head of the Shandong Radio and Television Station and producer of the show, said it was created from the perspective of exploring how Chinese civilization could be inherited and passed on to future generations.

He added that the show has also invited four renowned scholars, namely Kang Zhen, Meng Man, Li Bo and Yang Yu, as guest celebrities, sharing lesser-known knowledge about the people or historic moments that have been part of Yellow River's cultures.

Meng Man, a professor at the Minzu University of China, quoted some of the most famous poems featuring the Yellow River in ancient China.

"The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation and the spiritual source of Chinese civilization. Through this program, the audience can not only have a profound knowledge of the history of the Yellow River, but also take a close look of the happy life of the people living along its banks," she added.