Artists from Spain, Peru and Colombia played well-known Spanish repertoiresat the opening ceremonyin the music salon of the People’s Square metro station on Nov. 25.

An audible and interactive photo exhibition titled “With Spanish in your Suitcase” is under way at the 12 Shanghai metro stations. Visitors are expected to have a taste of the splendid culture and customs of Spanish-language countries and win a round-trip flight ticket and souvenirs by scanning the QR codes.

The event is hosted by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC), Shanghai Shentong, the city's metro operatorand Instituto Cervantes, and is being participated in by all the 12 consulate generals of Spanish-speakingcountries in Shanghai.

12 consuls general or consuls of Spanish-speakingcountries in Shanghai pose for photos at the opening ceremony.

Spanish is the second largest language for international communication and one of the five official languages of the United Nations.Nearly 600 million people in the world speakSpanish.

Ambassador of Spain to China Rafael Dezcallar

“The Spanishlanguage,as the main line of theevent, drives a virtual train, bringing us to a colorful Spanish-languageworld,” said Rafael Dezcallar, Ambassador of Spain to China, at the opening ceremony,noting that "Spanish is booming. We are willing to make more efforts to meet people's growing needs and interests in the language and enhance its influence in the metropolisof Shanghai."

The “Spanish-language-line” of Shanghai Metro is connected by 12 metro stations which have been decorated as the stages of the 12 Spanish-speaking countries.

Besides looking at the photos, visitors can scan the QR codes at the stations using WeChat or the Metro Metropolitan app to listen to the audio introductions by anchors from Radio Shanghai and to take part in the interaction.

The prizes include souvenirs from theseSpanish-speaking countries, some of which come from the just-ended second China International Import Expo, as well as the commemorative subway tickets customized by Shanghai Metro for this event.

The luckiest one will get a round-trip ticket from Shanghai to any Latin American country via Madrid provided by Air Spain. The event will last until December 5.

Chinese and foreign guests visit the photo exhibition.

Ignacio Concha, Consul General of Chile, believes that the event is a good promotion for Spanish language in Shanghai and China at large, adding that,“It’s not only a language, but also a vehicle for our culture.”

If the grand award winner chooses to travel to Chile, what scenic spots would you recommend to him or her, Mr Concha was asked. He replied,“We have a wonderful island near the South Pacific, Easter Island. There are big stone statues on it. I think it’s a must-see place, not only in Chile, but also in the world. It’s one of the world’s wonders.”

Consuls general sign the souvenir tickets and the billboard.

“More and more people are learning Spanish in Shanghai and its surrounding cities, especially those who study and work in the fields of trade and tourism,”saidInma González Puy, Director of Instituto Cervante, expressing her hope that theevent will help more people know about the language and the culture of thesecountries.The institute has set up a Cervantes library in Shanghai to spread Spanish-languageculture.

It is worth mentioning that the director speaks fluent Chinese.“I came to China in 1979 and studied Chinese atBeijing Language and Culture University.I hope I will have more time tocontinue to learn Chinese,” the short-haired elegant ladysaid very modestly.

By means of subway light boxes, visual designer Jorge Álvalez showcases the most amazing scenery and the most distinctive culture of these Spanish speaking countries. There are four Chinese and Spanish words displayed on each light box that best reflect thecharacteristics of the countries each box represents.

The Spanish-speaking countries showcased in the 12 metro stationsareSpain (Changshu Road Station), Argentina (East Nanjing Road Station), Chile (Xintiandi Station), Colombia (South Shaanxi Road Station), Costa Rica (Lujiazui station), Cuba (Hongqiao Road Station), Ecuador (Loushanguan Road Station), Mexico (Yili Road Station), Panama (People's Square Station), Peru (Jing'an Temple Station), Uruguay (Huangpi South Road Station) and Venezuela (West Nanjing Road Station).

Story and video by Wang Jiaye